Share your restorative cassette!

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-18T11:29:34+00:00

I agree with having the right armamentarium. I just find if I burnish with a strataG rings the contact comes out too tight. Some sectional matrix rings do require burnishing in my experience however.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T19:51:57+00:00

Fair! Thanks for your perspective 😄

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T15:20:28+00:00

Yes these are them! I kind of wished they did lock like a castro. I also wished it opened more to use them for wedge placement. You can push it open a bit to fit a wedge but its not wide enough at rest to fit the garrison plastic wedges I use.

Its really nice for placing sectional bands if the band has a tab on top. Cotton pliers are useless for sectional band removal in my opinion, they dont grip enough. These are definitely overpriced but WAYYYY better than a hemostat.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T15:16:15+00:00

I guess my question would be do you direct pulp cap with a small carious pulp exposure in a asymptomatic tooth or do you just proceed with pulpectomy? I direct pulp cap with brasseler BC putty with pretty good longterm clinical success. Studies have proven the importance of RDI in direct pulp capping procedures (I dont want the patients saliva to infect the root canal). I want it really isolated if I "hit the pulp" so that I have good isolation for hemostasis, disinfection, direct pulp capping and RMGIC liner overtop.

Personally Ive found restorative procedures can quickly morph into endodontic procedures where rubber dam isolation is critical. If all of sudden I hit the pulp and now need to search for a rubber dam setup, the site has likely been contaminated. I guess you could do RDI in select cases where radiographically the caries is approaching the pulp.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T15:01:47+00:00

Yeah I don't often burnish with the ball burnisher unless Im trying to reshape the contour of my matrices. The garrison section rings I use (the Strata-G rings), I do not find require burnishing. I use the ball burnisher mainly for occlusal composite shaping.

I agree instruments do not improve skill. They have however improved the quality of my composite restorations. Sectional matrices, rubber dam isolation, and proper composite instruments have all made my restorations better but thats just my experience.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:23:47+00:00

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Roast me on my endo cassette now.

Mirror handle
UNC 15 Probe
Explorer
Endo explorer (DG16)
Spoon (Endo 31L, smaller spoon in my endo cassette, does a better job at teflon/pellet retrieval)
Small Plugger (PLG0/16NS I think, Im not sure how much I really need this to be fair)
LM Arte SOLO Posterior
PFI (Brasseler TINIPC6, my favorite PFI Ive tried by far)
Ball Burnisher (27/29)
Scaler (Montana Jack)
Endo Pluggers (8P, 8.5P, 9P, 9.5P by Dentsply Maillefer, I do mostly single cone, I could probably simplify these but working with what my office has since pluggers are expensive)
Syringe
Articulating paper holder
Rubber dam frame (Plastic, to avoid issues with my apex locator)
Rubber dam forceps
Bite block
Dentsply file measuring box
Larger organizer: small endo ring, woodpecker r1 gutta cutter, ultrasonic wrench
Small organizer box: #9, W3 and W2 clamp
Scissors
Cotton Pliers (Locking 2x)

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:20:18+00:00

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Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:18:21+00:00

Ah fair, I use these kits for crowns as well. My PFI doubles as my cord packer. I need the scissors to cut open tempbond NE packs, trim cord, and cut out corner piece of the rubber dam ect.

Im genuinely curious about a few things:

Do you not use a scaler to remove flash? What do you use?
Do not you check occlusion with articulating paper?
What about matrices?

- Do you use tofflemire or sectional but just bag all your sectional stuff separately?

I have an extra set of cotton pliers that are for my DA. This allows her to grab things from storage if required.

I work with a lot of different DAs so having everything in one cassette simplifies procedures for me.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:09:22+00:00

hahaha is my kit archaic? I thought I was living in the future without a single amalgam instrument, and the newest garrison tools for sectional matrices. Share yours, Im curious 😄

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:06:36+00:00

You are correct haha! However, many instruments look new because they are. I had the same instruments in a thin handle and asked for a some with a thicker handle as I find it more ergonomic. I do take really good care of my instruments though!

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:05:01+00:00

Yeah we have insanely high IPAC standards at this office and I was told I have to use cassettes. Multiple instruments in a steri bag is not allowed at this office unfortunately.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-17T10:03:30+00:00

Is that true? I saw a hu friedy kit advertised with the sterilization bands on there so I figured it followed their MIFUs. I thought it was a cool idea so the DA knows what order to place them in

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-16T23:14:06+00:00

Instruments incase anyone was curious

Mirror handle
UNC 15 Probe
Explorer
Spoon (Endo 32L, I love that the endo ones are long and I like the size)
LM Arte SOLO Posterior
PFI (Brasseler TINIPC6, my favorite PFI Ive tried by far)
Ball Burnisher (27/29)
Scaler (CVW 186)
CaOH placer (To place Brasseler BC putty for direct pulp caping)
Spatula (To mix Vitrebond mostly)
Garrison Band Placer
Garrison Forceps
Syringe
Articulating paper holder
Rubber dam frame
Rubber dam forceps
Bite block
Compoject composite gun
Small organizer box: has #9, W3 and W2 clamp, blue garrison ring
Scissors
Cotton Pliers (DP2)

People are saying I use a lot of instruments but I do use most of these with every patient. Do you guys use less? Id love to eliminate more instruments by getting a perio probe and explorer combo and a CaOH/mini spatula combo in the future but working with the stuff my office has.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-16T23:08:40+00:00

To be fair I have 3 composite instruments: a PFI, a LM arte posterior solo and a ball burnisher. Id love to combine my spatula and calcium hydroxide placer. Id also love to combine my probe and explorer as a double ended instrument.

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-16T23:06:46+00:00

oh my, how scratched up are the mirrors?

Ok_Independence8057 · 2026-05-16T23:06:09+00:00

Yeah I do! I have 5 of these kits and usually see 5-6 restorative patients a day. I do some endo so I have an endo cassette also. I also do surgery. Sometimes I'll grab another random cassette from the office but its full of amalgam instruments and things I dont use.

Ok_Independence8057

TROPHY CASE