Definition

1. Noun:
   • A high-speed rotary cutting tool used in dentistry: A "burr drill" is a specific type of dental instrument. It is a small, powered drill that rotates at high speed. Dentists use it to remove decayed tooth material, shape tooth structure for fillings or crowns, and perform other precise cutting tasks within a tooth.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The dentist used a burr drill to remove the cavity.
  • The sound of the burr drill is often the most anxiety-provoking part of a dental visit.
  • Modern burr drills are designed to minimize vibration and heat.

Advanced Usage

• The term "burr drill" specifically refers to the combination of the handpiece (the drill motor) and the bur (the small, interchangeable cutting tip). In precise technical language, the "bur" is the cutting head, and the "handpiece" is the drill, but "burr drill" is commonly used to refer to the complete instrument.
  • The procedure requires a burr drill with a diamond-coated bur for cutting through enamel.

Variants and Related Words

• Dental drill (n): A more general term for any drill used in dentistry, which may include slower-speed drills as well as high-speed burr drills.
• Handpiece (n): The part of the dental drill that is held by the dentist, which holds and spins the bur.
• Bur (n): The small, rotary cutting tool that attaches to the handpiece. It comes in various shapes and materials (e.g., diamond bur, carbide bur).

Synonyms

• High-speed dental handpiece: A more technical synonym.
• Dental turbine: Refers to the air-driven mechanism inside many high-speed drills.

Related Phrases

• To drill a tooth: The action performed using a burr drill.
  • The dentist had to drill the tooth to prepare it for a filling.

Noun

1. a high speed drill that dentists use to cut into teeth