EndoGuide Endodontic Burs
SS White Burs, Inc
EndoGuide’s, conical-shaped, microdiameter tip acts as a self-centering guide for straightline access to canals, maximizing treatment efficiency and conserving healthy peri-cervical dentin.
SS White’s EndoGuide Burs are a unique set of 8 burs for nonsurgical root canal treatment. The patented, conical-shaped, microdiameter tip acts as a self-centering guide for straightline access to canals, maximizing treatment efficiency and conserving healthy peri-cervical dentin. EndoGuide Burs facilitate increased tactile sense of dentin and calcified canals, provide a polished dentin surface for easier visual identification of hidden canals, and can reduce dependence on costly ultrasonic instrumentation. EndoGuide burs are available in taskspecific kits, for anterior/bicuspid or molar teeth, and 5-packs of individual burs.
In this Dental Product Shopper review, 12 dentists— a mix of endodontists and general practitioners— evaluated EndoGuide burs on patients in their practices for 4 weeks and reported their findings. They rated and commented on EndoGuide’s highlighted features, such as improved canal visibility and the conservation of peri-cervical dentin.
Convenience
EndoGuide burs are designed to achieve straight-line access from an incisally positioned, vertical angle. Their funnel-shaped design improves canal visibility as well. As compared to a round bur, EndoGuide’s unique blade design polishes dentin to improve canal mapping.
Regarding ease of use, EndoGuide burs were rated as excellent by 1 evaluator, as very good by 9, as good by 1, and as fair by 1. One of the evaluators said, “They felt much more solid than a Gates Glidden file.” Another reviewer mentioned, “I found the molar bur lengths to be on the long side for the majority of molars I work on; the limiting factor being mouth opening could not accommodate their length. A third added, “Burs fall out of bur block and need to be color coded so they aren’t mixed with other similar files.”
The self-centering feature of EndoGuide was called excellent by 1 evaluator, very good by 4, good by 6, and fair by 1. An evaluator with 33 years of experience in dentistry cited this as his favorite feature. One of the important benefits of EndoGuide is improved canal visibility. Three evaluators rated this feature as excellent, 3 very good, 4 good, and 1 fair. Another evaluator who practices in Dallas said the burs “give extra visibility,” and 2 others called this the standout feature of the product.
Efficiency
EndoGuide burs are specifically designed to maximize efficiency during endodontic exploration and access while conserving healthy tooth structure. EndoGuide burs blade design functions to effectively polish the dentin surface as it cuts, making visual dentin mapping easier and canal identification more precise.
In evaluating how well EndoGuide burs conserve peri-cervical dentin, 2 rated them excellent, 7 very good, 2 good, and 1 fair. One of the evaluators said “The diamond burs were of good quality; the tapered shaping burs are good for orifice shaping while preserving canal anatomy.”
Concerning how well EndoGuide eliminates multiple access paths, 4 called it excellent, 4 very good, 3 good, and 1 fair. An evaluator who rated his overall satisfaction as very good said, “They are very conservative burs and when used with a microscope can be very effective in improving endodontic access.”
Five evaluators rated time savings very good, 4 rated it good, and 3 rated it fair. Evaluators also tested the burs’ reduced gouging and ledging, with 2 calling it excellent, 6 very good, 2 good, and 2 fair. An Ohio-based dentist mentioned, “I enjoy using this product for calcified canals in anterior teeth.”
Overall Satisfaction
Regarding overall satisfaction with EndoGuide burs, 8 called them very good, 2 called them good, and 2 called them fair. An evaluator with 13 years of experience in dentistry liked the “good instructions” and said, “The product can be useful for tight canals.” Another evaluator liked the “extra length of the shafts” and gave EndoGuide an overall satisfaction rating of very good.
