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Burnisher (ball and egg burnisher)
Also called: ball burnisher, egg burnisher, football burnisher, T-ball burnisher
A smooth rounded tip that rubs and smooths a filling or band.
A burnisher has a smooth, polished end shaped like a ball, egg or football. It rubs the surface of a new amalgam to smooth it and seal the edges, and it is also used to shape a matrix band so it hugs the tooth.
How to spot it
- A smooth round ball or egg shape on the end, with no grooves and no edge.
- Burnisher vs. condenser: burnisher end is rounded; condenser end is flat.
What it is used for
- Smoothing amalgam after carving; contouring matrix bands.
Safety and care
- Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.