Product Evaluation

NeoBurr 557²   Carbide Bur Evaluation

Single-piece construction and a unique blended-neck design ensure toughness.

As any dentist knows all too well, a broken bur will stop a procedure in its tracks. And burs are most susceptible to breakage during extremely rigorous procedures, when clinicians need to depend on them the most. What if there were a bur that was designed to make bur breakage a thing of the past? Microcopy’s new disposable NeoBurr 557² was constructed to do just that.

When designing the NeoBurr 557², Microcopy eliminated the weakest point in a bur—the defined neck—and replaced it with a blended-neck design and single-piece carbide construction. Combined with blades that are engineered for smooth, fast cutting, the NeoBurr 557² ensures that dental procedures are performed more effectively, more efficiently, and with improved safety, according to Microcopy.

Our evaluators were eager to test the NeoBurr 557² in their practices and report on its toughness and other factors for this Dental Product Shopper evaluation.

“This bur eats porcelain for lunch and doesn’t break when it gets to metal,” New York dentist Dr. Michael Teitelbaum proclaimed. “I feel more secure I can finish appointments on time.” He described a case where he was having difficulty removing a bridge when he decided to try the NeoBurr 557². “The other burs I tried cut slowly with chatter and even broke, but these cut through like a hot knife through butter.”

Breakage Resistance

Dr. Chester Klos was frustrated by burs breaking at the cutting end from the shank. None of the NeoBurr 557² burs broke during his 4-week trial period, and he praised the blended-neck design. “By creating a product that was one material, they eliminated the weld joint, which was the weak link.”

According to Microcopy, the single-piece carbide construction coupled with the blended-neck design has made NeoBurr 557² up to 70% stronger than competitive burs. Dr. Horn said he used approximately 100 burs and experienced no breakage during any of his procedures, and Dr. Albert Clark also reported no concerns after testing their durability and even trying to break them intentionally. “I tried to break the burs outside of the mouth…I did break one with excessive force and torque,” he said, but he concluded that the burs are “very durable.” Dr. Alan Krause said, “The burs just felt more solid.”

Cutting Performance

Dr. Daniel Florian said the burs remove decay more easily—with less effort and a faster treatment time. Microcopy designed the blade for smoother, faster cuts, and Dr. Clark agreed that the burs were more consistent in providing a smooth and rapid cut, especially when removing an old restoration. “The cutting was superior to a current bur we are using,” he noted, as there was less force required to remove old restorations. Texas dentist Dr. Russell Tankersley liked the control that he had with the burs. “It cuts very well,” he said. “It worked without causing enamel microfractures.”

The friction-grip carbide NeoBurr 557² is also available in surgical length. Dr. Tanya Orr used the surgical length NeoBurr for a tooth No. 19 sectioning during a surgical extraction and said it allowed her to keep bone removal to a very minimum and practice conservative dentistry, even during extraction.

Many evaluators praised the individual packaging of the burs, and because they are disposable, Dr. Horn said he doesn’t need to worry about losing cutting efficiency due to heat or cold sterilization. As an improvement, Dr. Klos suggested more cross cuts to improve cutting ability, while Dr. Teitelbaum concluded, “These burs just rip through porcelain. It’s quite impressive.”

Reduced Chatter

“It’s nice to have a bur that doesn’t chatter,” said Dr. Krause, adding, “Since there was no chatter, it was much more comfortable for the patient.” The concentric design of the NeoBurr 557² perfectly aligns the head to the shank, according to Microcopy, minimizing vibration/chatter and improving patient comfort. “It isn’t overly aggressive and cuts very well without chatter,” noted Dr. Tankersley, and Dr. Susan Frank called it a good-quality bur with low chatter. Dr. Teitelbaum said, “It makes cutting more pleasant. It seems more comfortable to patients.”

"These burs just rip through porcelain. It's quite impressive."
Michael Teitelbaum, DMD
Briarcliff Manor, NY

Overall Satisfaction

Saying he would recommend this bur to anyone looking to move to an excellent disposable bur, Dr. Horn applauded the NeoBurr 5572 for its durability and cutting efficiency. “It decreases chair time due to outstanding cutting ability,” he added. Dr. Orr praised the bur for its “excellent performance, precision, durability, and high quality metal.”

Takeaways

•Cut teeth quickly and efficiently
•Single-piece construction and blended-neck design virtually eliminate breakage
•Smoother cuts with little to no vibration/ chatter
•Disposable, single-use, individually packaged