Dental bur

This image shows the surface detail of a dental bur. A dental bur is a type of drill bit also called a dental drill and is commonly made of tungsten. This particular drill is made from tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is a dense metal-like substance that is light grey-blue in colour. It is an inorganic compound of carbon. Inorganic compounds usually describe a substance produced from the combination of two or more elements (other than carbon). The combination of elements including carbon is usually referred to as an organic compound, except for carbonates, carbides and cyanides. Tungsten carbide is often used to add hardness to cast iron and is, therefore, used in the cutting edges of saws, drills and other machinery.