CeriSaw (PPL 2008)

Consultants’ Comments

• “Easy to use and handle on anterior teeth.”
• “Doesn’t create a gap when you break the contact.”
• “Easier to use than metal strips in some areas of the mouth.”

Description

CeriSaw is a handheld saw used for opening interproximal contacts. Designed for easy opening of contacts, the saw is a metal frame with a removable 50-

μm thick, serrated metal blade. CeriSaw can be used to lighten or open contacts that are bonded together or that contain debris. It can also be used to provide space for easier interproximal stripping. Two sizes are available: the shorter saw is designed to provide easier posterior access, while the longer saw is to be used in the anterior region. The saw and blade are both autoclavable and can be used multiple times. CeriSaw is packaged in kits containing one saw and blade, or one saw and blade plus 10 replacement blades. Additional replacement blades are available. Twenty-one consultants evaluated CeriSaw in over 400 clinical cases. This product received a 91% clinical rating.

Product Features

Consultants found CeriSaw to be useful for opening interproximal contacts. It rated extremely well for ease of use on anterior teeth and for corrosion resistance after sterilization. Most consultants remarked favorably on the ability of the device to open anterior contacts bonded together after restorative procedures. It cut well and remained sharp even after autoclaving several times. The average number of uses per saw was 6 before blade replacement was necessary. Many consultants found the device a bit cumbersome and hard to angle in the posterior. Some noted that accessing posterior contacts was difficult due to the size of the device. In breaking heavy contacts bonded with composite, CeriSaw was found to occasionally leave a small amount of metal residue on the interproximal surfaces, although this was easy to remove with an abrasive. Seventy-five percent of consultants found CeriSaw to be the same as or better than what they currently use for opening contacts and would purchase and recommend it.

Clinical Tips

• Use CeriSaw for opening contacts just enough to allow abrasive strips to recontour interproximal surfaces.
• Effective for opening contacts bonded together during placement of veneers.

Editors’ Note: The original evaluation was published in THE DENTAL ADVISOR, Vol. 19, No. 3, April 2002.