Carbide burs are used to remove sharp edges, burrs, and excess material from surfaces by cutting, shaping, grinding, and removing sharp edges, burrs, and additional material.

Carbide has a high heat tolerance, which allows it to cut at increased levels than equivalent HSS cutters while preserving its cutting edge. Carbide burs maintain their hardness even when compressed, have a longer life, and are a superior choice for long-term performance due to their increased wear resistance.

How to use carbide burs?

In restorative dentistry, crown preparations, aesthetic composites, endodontic access holes, and dental procedures, clinicians rely on carbide burs.

Metalwork, tool manufacturing, engineering, model engineering, wood carving, jewellery making, welding, chamfering, casting, deburring, grinding, cylinder head porting, and sculpting are all common uses for carbide burrs. They’re used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, dental, metal sculpting, and metal smiting, to mention a few.

What are carbide burs made of?

Tungsten carbide is used to make carbide burs, which are exceedingly hard (approximately three times stiffer than steel) and can survive extreme temperatures. Carbide burs keep a sharp cutting edge and may be used repeatedly without growing dull due to their hardness. You must know that carbide burs work best at high speeds with light pressure.

Excavating and preparing cavities, finishing cavity walls, finishing restoration surfaces, drilling old fillings, finishing crown preparations, contouring bone, removing impacted teeth, and separating crowns and bridges are the most typical uses for carbide burs. Carbide burs are distinguished by their shank and head. The type of shank required is determined by the type of handpiece being utilized. The sort of cutting design/head shape chosen is determined by the procedure to be performed.

Carbide Burrs Commonly Come in Two Cuts

  1. Single Cut

These are commonly used on stainless steel, hardened steel, copper, cast iron, and ferrous metals, and they remove debris rapidly and smoothly. Heavy stock removal, milling, deburring, and cleaning are all possible with this tool.  They are used for heavy removal of material, milling, deburring, cleaning, creates long chips.

  1. Double Cut (Diamond Cut)

Double-cut carbide burrs are commonly used on ferrous and non-ferrous metals. They can also be used on aluminium, soft steel, and non-metal materials like plastics and wood. They can remove material faster because they have more cutting edges.

Due to the smaller chips produced as the material is cut away, double cut, also known as Diamond Cut or Cross Cut (2 flutes cut across each other), will provide a smoother finish than a single cut. Use for deburring, finishing, and cleaning medium-light stock. The most common cut is a double-cut carbide burr, which will get you through most applications. They’re utilised for medium-light material removal, deburring, fine finishing, cleaning, smoothing, and making small chips.