Accelerated Academy Dental Assisting Midterm Practice Test

The instrument designed to shape occlusal anatomy on a restoration is the discoid-cleoid carver. Its two ends are purposefully shaped for carving: the discoid end is broad and rounded for planing and smoothing large occlusal areas, while the pointed cleoid end is used to create and refine the fine grooves and pits that mimic natural occlusal anatomy. This combination lets you recreate the cusps, grooves, and ridges that are essential for proper occlusion on amalgam or composite restorations. Interproximal carvers are meant for shaping the surfaces near the contact points between teeth, not the occlusal surface itself. Articulating paper is used to check where the teeth contact each other, not to carve anatomy. A syringe is used to deliver or place material or anesthetic, not to sculpt the tooth’s occlusal features.