Diamond burrs are an essential tool for many applications, including lapidary, engraving, jewelry making, glass art, ceramic art, gemstone working and metalsmithing. When used with a high-speed handpiece or micro motor, they allow you to cut, shape and grind in a wide variety of materials, including hard metals, glass, stone and ceramic. There are many different types, shapes and grits of diamond burrs, so it is important to choose the one that is right for your job. Carbide rotary burs are a common alternative to diamond burrs, but they don’t work as well on hard metals and tend to chatter more frequently than their diamond counterparts.
Using the proper type and grit of diamond burr can make the difference between a smooth, beautiful finished product and an uneven or rough surface. You should start with a coarse grit bur for bulk removal and pre-forming, and then switch to a finer grit for detail work. Also, the size of the diamond head determines how much material it can remove at a time, so you’ll want to switch to a smaller grit if you’re cutting through harder materials.
You can use the diamond burrs with metallic in a variety of settings, from removing sandblasting marks to chamfering margins on metal-ceramic crowns. They provide precision, which saves you time in the chair and increases patient satisfaction by allowing you to complete procedures faster. This can also decrease your cost by decreasing the amount of time that you need to spend under anesthesia for each patient.
These sintered carving burs are made of finely graded diamonds embedded in a metal matrix throughout the entire head for consistent, long-lasting performance. They are designed to be used with a rotary tool, such as a Dremel or Foredom flexible shaft handpiece in a high-speed micro motor or fixed-point lathe or pendant drill. You can lubricate them with clean water, or for increased longevity and efficiency use 412 Slick Lube to extend the life of your diamond tools.
A diamond re-shaping block is available to keep your burrs in top condition by lightly grinding them against it with the tip of the bur for just a few seconds to expose new sharpened diamond layers. It’s a quick, easy and affordable way to get the most out of your burs.
Single-use diamond burs are individually packaged and ready-to-use right out of the box, eliminating downtime for sterilization and ensuring that you’re always using a fresh, sharp replacement instrument. They are more expensive than multi-use burs, but they’re a better value in the long run as you can get through an entire procedure with just one bur. Single-patient use also eliminates cross-contamination between patients.