Cleaning and Caring Of The Instruments Notes

Cleaning and Caring Of The Instruments

Rubber Bowls

Usually in preclinical exercises two rubber bowls are used. Rubber bowls are used for manipulation of gypsum products and alginate impression material. Keep separate bowls for gypsum products manipulation and alginate manipulation.

After manipulation of gypsum products, rubber bowl can be cleaned with water. After manipulation of alginate, rubber bowl can be cleaned first with small piece of cotton or gauze and finally with water.

Read and Learn  More: Preclinical Prosthodontics Notes

Wax Manipulation Instruments

Bunsen burner or spirit lamp is used as heat source to heat the instruments in dental laboratory and clinic. Due to heating, the instruments over fire flame, working ends of instruments become black due to carbon deposition over them. The working ends should be clean and free of carbon deposits on it.

At the end of every laboratory session, clean the instruments with cotton to remove wax from the working end. These instruments can be cleaned with sand papering when the working end becomes black due to carbon deposits.

Glass Slab

Glass slab used for manipulation of various impression materials like zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) paste, light body consistency elastomers, etc. The glass slab can be cleaned with piece of cotton or gauze.

If dental cements are manipulated over glass slab, it can be cleaned with piece of cotton or gauze soaked with drop of spirit. After manipulation of ZOE paste, glass slab is cleaned with carbon tetrachloride. If the paste hardened over the spatula, hold it over a flame to soften and then wipe out the spatula.

Glass Plate

Glass plate is used as template while teeth arrangement. Wax usually sticks to the glass plate. Glass plate can be cleaned by slightly and very carefully heating over the flame and cleaning it with dry cotton piece. Do not heat it excessively otherwise it will break.

Model Trimmer

It is used to trim the dental casts. Water supply should be ensured while trimming the casts. Allow the water to run for at least 1–2 minutes after trimming is over. This will flush all of the gypsum particles from the trimmer and prevents clogging.