Bur types/sizes and matching handpieces
(Link to original text: What Size Of The Dental Bur Shall You Use? | B&D Articles (burdental.com))
What Size Of The Dental Bur Shall You Use?
Dental burs are made of steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide burs and diamond grit to cut the hard tissues like bone or tooth.
All dental burs are consisted by a head, the neck and a shank.
The heads are made by different material like stainless steel, tungsten carbide bur and diamond grit to cater different purpose.
The "neck" connects the head and the shank.
The shanks are usually made of stainless steel and have the different end to attach or insert to the handpiece machines.
What is the bur shank?
There are three main often used shank types:
* Long straight (HP) shank.
* Standard length Friction grip shank (FG).
* Latch angle (LA or RA) shank.
FG shank bur is mostly used on the high speed turbine handpiece tool.
HP shank burs are suitable to use on the straight low speed handpiece.
The Latch angle LA (RA) shank bur is working on the contra angle slow speed handpiece.
FG shank diameter is 1.6mm（1/16 inch.
Latch-type Shank (RA) shank is generally 20 mm in length with a 2.35 mm diameter and fits in low speed handpieces and contra angles.
Latch-type shanks are often available with the same shapes as Friction grip (FG)shanks.
HP shank diameter is 2.35mm(3/32 inch).
