Dentists, wood workers and metal workers alike use carbide burs for drilling, grinding and shaping. And while a dentist's patients cringe at the sound of carbide bur drills, wood workers and metal workers covet specialty carbide burs which help them craft beautiful art, furniture and hardware with unique markings and long-lasting finishes. Depending on your choice of length and tip, carbide burs can vary in cost, but artists and dentist can find packs of burs at a savings. Often, carbide burs are thrown away after signs of wear and tear start to appear, but there are services that can sharpen or repair the tips and surfaces of certain carbide burs.

Consider the following resources to make sure you get the right carbide burs for your job:

1. Safe and sterile carbide burs for dentists and dental professionals

2. Carbide burs for metal and wood working applications

3. Carbide bur repair services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find dental carbide burs for bulk purchase on the Web

The best way to save on dental carbide burs is to buy in packs of 100 or more. It could be cheaper to repair some carbide bur tips but you won't have to wait for repairs. Companies with complete carbide bur lines should offer tips like inverted cones and gingi flames as well as bur cleaning heads that can remove debris from even the smallest crevices.

I recommend: Net32 sells a wide variety of carbide burs in packs of 100. Dentsply International sells both files and bur cleaning brushes.

Get wood and metal carbide burs via specialty craft sites

Wood and metal workers often need very specific lengths of carbide burs for drilling deep into objects. Unless you're looking to mass produce items, you may be able to get more use out of your carbide bur than a dentist would, so investing in a wood or metal working set of burs could be wise. You can find sets of highly specialized burs at a great value.

I recommend: CarbideBur.com offers both individual carbide burs as well as professional sets. Cyber Woodworking Depot sells a variety of carbide burs.

Let carbide burs repair services restore your pricier burs

Depending how much you paid for your carbide burs and what type of tips they have, you could save by getting them sharpened or repaired. Some repair services even claim to restore them to 'new' condition. Most of the repair companies can also repair broken shanks. Pricey woodworking sets are certainly worth the effort and fee.

I recommend: Vetquip offers repair services for both veterinary and traditional dental carbide burs. Specialty Carbide Products can repair and polish nearly any damaged bur.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Always protect yourself, especially from flying shards of metal and wood, while you use carbide burs. You can find such protection at your local hardware store or often from the same sites that offer carbide burs.