Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Matt Salameh, Haberfield Dental Practice, NSW
This is a trimming wheel used to polish the edges of retainers or any type of thermoforming material. It looks like a coral wheel but is made from abrasive latex. There’s a range of DIMO trimming wheels in a variety of colours and levels of abrasiveness. I only use the orange wheels that come in a pack of 10.
What’s good about it
I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find something to clean the edges of retainers when we cut them off the model. I eventually came across this product which works beautifully. Not only can it cut the retainer material but also cleans and rounds off the edges. The retainers are nice and smooth, causing no irritation in the patient’s mouth.
Even though there’s a range of coloured wheels, I’ve only used the orange version because it works so well. I had a specific problem and the DIMO orange wheel solved it. It can also be used with mouthguards and other softer materials. Occasionally, I’ll make a soft splint and use it to clean up the edges.
The wheels do wear down but they last a fairly long while. I can use one wheel with between five and 10 retainers. The wheels are on a metal shank that’s connected to a handpiece. I don’t turn the handpiece up too high because it wears the wheel quickly and there’s a possibility it may fly off.
What’s not so good
This is a great tool but it would be nice if they were more robust. You can see them wearing down as you use them. I tend to go through a pack of 10 fairly quickly.
I like the Dimo orange trimming wheel, but I stopped using them because they often left orange stains on the retainer. Did anyone else have that problem?