Alpen Speedster carbide burs rapidly and efficiently cut amalgam, porcelain, metal, enamel, and dentin.
"This bur has replaced my "go-to" carbides that I've been using for the past 25 years," said a Texas dentist who called COLTENE's Alpen Speedster carbide burs much better than similar products. The same evaluator reported that he would definitely purchase the burs and recommend them to colleagues, and added, "there's very little chatter and they can quickly and quietly remove an old amalgam or composite and still let you move efficiently through natural tooth structure."
Designed for rapid reduction of amalgam, porcelain, metal, enamel, and dentin, Alpen Speedster carbides cut more quickly than the competition and feature durable one-piece construction. The 12 dentists who participated in this Dental Product Shopper review evaluated features such as cutting efficiency, speed, and durability.
Cutting Efficiency
Manufacturer description: The highly concentric Alpen Speedster enables a faster, smoother, more precise cut through amalgam, porcelain, metal, enamel, and dentin. The carbides cuts freely and aggressively without stalling or clogging and with minimal chatter.
Evaluator feedback: With comments such as, "very sharp, excellent cutting efficiency," "very smooth cutting and precise bur," and, "they cut extremely well and easily," 8 of the 10 evaluators who rated cutting efficiency rated this feature as excellent and the remaining 2 rated it as very good. One dentist said, "[I] felt it was easy cutting tooth or composite," and an evaluator in practice for 31 years, who described the burs as "very easy to use and efficient," went on to say, "I really thought these burs cut better than any other carbides I have used." "Excellent cutting efficiency on all dental material; enamel, dentin, porcelain, etc.," said a California practitioner who rated the burs as excellent. When asked about chatter/vibration, all 11 of the evaluators who responded rated this feature as excellent or very good, with most (9) rating it as excellent. Comments included, "it does not give vibration while working," "cuts well without chatter," and, "excellent resistance to vibration.
Speed
Manufacturer description: At a speed of .30 inches/second, Alpen carbides cut up to 4 times faster than the competition.
Evaluator feedback: All 11 of the evaluators who rated speed rated it as excellent. A dentist who rated all features as excellent and described the burs as much better than similar products reported that, "[it] takes out an old amalgam filling very quickly." "It cuts fast! These things will blow through anything very quickly," said a dentist who reported that he would definitely purchase the burs and recommend them to his colleagues.
Durability
Manufacturer description: Unlike most carbides, which are based on 60-year old, 2-piece construction, Alpen Speedster features 1-piece construction, eliminating brazed joint breakage and rusting. After 5 cuts Alpen, carbides outperform most competitors' first cuts.
Evaluator feedback: Two dentists who said they would definitely purchase the burs and recommend them to colleagues noted that, "they don't dull from cutting through old composite," and, "overall, the burs are of great quality and may get more than one use." "I didn't experience any breakage, which can be common with carbide burs," noted a dentist who gave the burs an overall rating of excellent. The same evaluator went on to say, "they seemed to dull quickly when cutting composite; however, I have found this with all carbide burs." An evaluator who noted that the burs "did not separate at the weld" also said, "[I'd like] better durability, especially after autoclaving. Seven of the 11 evaluators who rated durability rated it as excellent, and the remaining 4 rated it as very good or good.
Overall Satisfaction
Because of their speed and efficiency, Alpen Speedster burs reduce both prep and chair time while enhancing ease of use. When asked about potential improvements, comments included, "[I'd like] more sizes," and, "[I'd like to see them] available in clinic packs." With remarks such as, "it is a solid, well made product," 92% of the evaluators described the carbides as much or somewhat better than similar products. Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 9 evaluators and as very good by the remaining 3. "I really enjoyed this product and recommended it to my colleagues," said 1 of the 9 dentists who reported that they would definitely recommend COLETENE's Alpen Speedster to their colleagues. Eight evaluators said they would definitely purchase the burs in the future.
