Round burs and excavators: controlled caries removal

Caries removal is the first step of every restoration and a sensitive one: sacrifice as little healthy substance as possible, yet remove the carious dentine completely. Round burs and excavators from rotatec are made exactly for this. They are manufactured Swiss Made to ISO 13485 in Appenzell.

Round burs: the spherical working shape

The round bur owes its name to the spherical working tip with a cross-cut blade. This geometry allows controlled, pinpoint removal without unnecessarily widening the cavity. Made from tungsten carbide, it offers high cutting performance and smooth running.

In the numbering system for rotary instruments the sphere carries figure number 001. For the approximal area and hard-to-reach sites we also offer the extended version 001L. You will find both in our excavators group.

Why we do not offer a steel version

Round burs are also available on the market in steel, usually at a noticeably lower price. We deliberately do not stock them.

The reason is wear. Steel loses its cutting edge too quickly. What cuts at the start merely scrapes after a few cavities, and a blunt instrument does not work in a substance-preserving way: it needs more pressure, generates more heat and removes more healthy substance than necessary. The price advantage is used up within a short time, and what remains is a poorer result for the patient.

Our excavators are therefore available exclusively in tungsten carbide. It holds its edge across many reprocessing cycles, runs more smoothly and keeps its service life predictable. Anyone who calculates the cost per cavity rather than the purchase price per instrument comes out cheaper.

Choosing the right size

The size of the round bur depends on the extent of the lesion, not on the type of tooth:

• Small spheres: for fine, targeted excavation and hard-to-reach spots
• Larger spheres: for wide removal in extensive caries

Switching from larger to smaller instruments helps you work up to healthy substance in a controlled way. In the excavators group the range can be grouped by diameter, shank and shape, so the right size is only a few clicks away.

Working substance-preserving

• Work with water cooling and light pressure
• Remove carious, soft dentine selectively, preserve hard healthy dentine
• Close to the pulp, work with a small sphere and very low speed
• Check the cavity after excavation before the restoration follows

From stock, directly from the manufacturer

Round burs and excavators are consumables that are reordered regularly. At rotatec they are in stock and ready to ship within 48 hours, straight from our own production in Appenzell.

Within the filling-therapy workflow

Caries excavation is one step in a fixed sequence: filling removal, cavity preparation, excavation, finishing and polishing. A well-rehearsed protocol with the right instruments for each step makes filling therapy fast, efficient and gentle. The round bur handles the targeted removal of carious dentine before the cavity is prepared for the restoration. Keeping the instruments for each step ready and clearly assigned saves time and reduces changes at the chair.

From our range

For controlled caries removal we offer carbide round burs and excavators in various sizes and toothings, in the standard shape 001 and in the extended version 001L, for clinic and surgery. All Swiss Made to ISO 13485, in stock and ready to ship within 48 hours.

Register as a professional and find the right size directly in the excavators shop group.