INTRODUCTION The removal and shaping of tooth structure are essential aspects of restorative dentistry. In order to perform the intricate and detailed procedures associated with operative dentistry, the dentist must have a complete knowledge of the purpose, availability and application of many instruments required. The early hand-operated instruments, with their large, heavy handles and inferior metal alloys in the blades, were cumbersome, awkward to use, and ineffective in many situations. Likewise, there was no uniformity of manufacture or nomenclature. Dr G V Black, among his many contributions to dentistry, is also credited with the first acceptable nomenclature for the classification of hand instruments.
Modern hand instruments, when properly used, produce beneficial results for both the operator and the patient. It should be noted that some of these results can only be achieved with hand instruments. The introduction of rotary powered cutting equipment was one of the truly major advances in dentistry. Modern high-speed equipment has eliminated the need for many hand instruments for tooth preparation. The need for a distinctive instrument in every single step of each treatment procedure is responsible for the huge armamentarium we have today. The judicious usage of 1