S C Siegel1, J A von Fraunhofer. 1. Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Maryland Dental School, 666 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. scs001@dental.umaryland.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE: A data baseline on dental cutting methodologies was established by means of a survey of North American dental school teaching. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-four North American dental schools were surveyed regarding their recommendations on handpiece usage and coolant flow rates in fixed prosthodontics and operative dentistry. RESULTS: High-speed handpieces were the instruments of choice for tooth preparation in fixed prosthodontics. In operative procedures, recommendations for sole use of the high-speed, the low-speed, or both handpiece types were more uniform. CONCLUSIONS: North American dental schools advocate greater use of high-speed than low-speed handpieces. Although the use of high-speed handpieces predominate in schools in Canada and Puerto Rico, there is a proportionately higher use of low-speed handpieces than in US dental schools. Few (approximately 1 in 5) schools made recommendations on coolant flow rates during cutting procedures.
PURPOSE: A data baseline on dental cutting methodologies was established by means of a survey of North American dental school teaching. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-four North American dental schools were surveyed regarding their recommendations on handpiece usage and coolant flow rates in fixed prosthodontics and operative dentistry. RESULTS: High-speed handpieces were the instruments of choice for tooth preparation in fixed prosthodontics. In operative procedures, recommendations for sole use of the high-speed, the low-speed, or both handpiece types were more uniform. CONCLUSIONS: North American dental schools advocate greater use of high-speed than low-speed handpieces. Although the use of high-speed handpieces predominate in schools in Canada and Puerto Rico, there is a proportionately higher use of low-speed handpieces than in US dental schools. Few (approximately 1 in 5) schools made recommendations on coolant flow rates during cutting procedures.