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Plastic filling instrument (PFI)
Also called: PFI, Woodson, Heidemann spatula, plastic instrument
A double-ended paddle and plugger for carrying and shaping soft materials.
"Plastic" here means the material is soft and moldable, not that the instrument is plastic. The plastic filling instrument has a flat paddle on one end and a small plugger on the other. It carries and places liners, bases, temporary fillings and cements.
How to spot it
- Flat, blunt paddle end and a small round plugger end on a steel handle.
What it is used for
- Placing temporary fillings, liners and cements.
Safety and care
- Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
Related
Sources: Ergodenta. Cement & Mixing Spatulas in Dentistry, Mt. Hood Community College. Restorative Dentistry (open Pressbooks text): "Placing Amalgam Restorations" and "Amalgam Set Up."