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Amalgam carrier

Also called: amalgam gun, carrier

A plunger tool that carries mixed amalgam to the tooth.

Amalgam is mixed in capsules, then emptied into an amalgam well. The carrier picks up a small amount of amalgam in its hollow tip and pushes it into the preparation when you press the lever or plunger.

How to spot it

  • A hollow tube tip (one or two ends) with a lever or plunger to push the material out.

What it is used for

  • Loading amalgam into the preparation, one increment at a time.

Safety and care

  • Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
  • Clear all amalgam from the carrier right after use, before it hardens.
  • Treat amalgam scrap as hazardous: collect it for recycling per office protocol; do not put it in regular trash or down the drain.

Related

Sources: Mt. Hood Community College. Restorative Dentistry (open Pressbooks text): "Placing Amalgam Restorations" and "Amalgam Set Up."