The Influence of Bur Blade Concentricity on High-speed Tooth-cutting Interactions: A Video-rate Confocal Microscopic Study

This study aimed to determine the degree of eccentricity between different tungsten carbide bur manufacturing techniques and to study the effect of bur inaccuracy on dental enamel. Error in bur concentricity may arise from malalignment of the steel shaft and carbide head in a two-piece construction bur. Cutting blades rotate at multiple radii from the shaft axis, potentially producing vibrations and damage to the cut substrate. Techniques now allow for the manufacture of one-piece tungsten carbide burs with strength adequate to withstand lateral loading. A comparison of tungsten carbide dental cutting tools revealed the true extent of concentricity errors. Variation in alignment of the cutting head and shaft in the two-part constructions incurred between 20 and 50 μm of additional axial error. High-speed cutting interactions with dental enamel between carbide burs were studied by means of a video-rate confocal microscope. A cutting stage fitted to a Tandem Scanning Microscope (TSM) allowed for real-time dynamic image acquisition. Images were captured and retrieved by means of a low-light-level camera recording directly to S-VHS videotape. Videotape showing the interactions of high-speed rotary cutting instruments (at 120,000 rpm) were taken under simulated normal wet-cutting environments, and the consequent damage to the tooth tissue was observed as it occurred. Concentrically engineered bur types produced a superior quality cut surface at the entry, exit, and advancing front aspects of a cavity, as well as less subsurface cracking. Imaging of the coolant water film local to recent cutting operations showed regular spherical cutting debris of 6 to 18 um diameter from the concentric tools, whereas the less-well-engineered burs produced ragged, irregular chips, with 25-40 um diameter debris, indicating far more aggressive cutting actions. This study has shown that there is reduced substrate damage with high-concentricity carbide burs.