Crown Cutter Selection Guide: Which Bur Cuts Which Crown?
Sectioning a crown is a race between your bur and the chair clock — and the right cutter for the restoration material wins it.
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Busch & Co. builds four crown cutter families, each matched to specific materials. This guide maps them, straight from Busch's official application matrix.
The selection matrix
| Cutter family | Non-precious (NEM) alloys | High-gold PM alloys | Gold-reduced PM alloys | Metal-ceramics (PFM) | Zirconia & full ceramic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Cut — 21RX, 23RX | |||||
| Fine Crosscut — 34, 36R, 38R | |||||
| Diamond Cut — 34D, 36RD, 38RD, 36RDL, 38RDL | |||||
| ZIRAMANT — 6880Z, 6855Z |
Carbide crown cutters (double cut, fine crosscut, diamond cut) run at 180,000 – 200,000 min⁻¹; ZIRAMANT cutters at 140,000 – 160,000 min⁻¹. Use adequate water cooling when sectioning, and see our Speed Chart for the full picture.
By restoration material
The 34, 36R, and 38R fine crosscut cutters are purpose-built for hard non-precious alloys, slicing chrome-cobalt and nickel-chrome copings efficiently. The diamond-cut series handles them too if you prefer one universal cutter.
High-gold and gold-reduced alloys are comparatively soft and tend to smear finer toothings; the 21RX and 23RX double-cut cutters take clean, fast bites instead. The diamond-cut series covers these alloys as well.
PFM is the two-material problem: veneering ceramic over a metal coping. The 34D, 36RD, and 38RD diamond-cut cutters are the only carbide family rated for metal-ceramics, cutting through both layers with exceptionally smooth running and secure guidance. Alternatively, open the ceramic layer first with a coarse-grit diamond, then section the metal coping with a crown cutter — Busch's catalog endorses exactly this two-step approach.
Carbide blades don't cut sintered zirconia; its hardness demands diamond abrasion. The ZIRAMANT 6880Z and 6855Z crown cutters carry Busch's special diamond coating engineered for zirconia, run at the reduced 140,000–160,000 min⁻¹ range, and a coarse-grit diamond instrument is the endorsed alternative for the veneering ceramic.
Choosing the working length
The diamond-cut family comes in three working-part lengths: 34D (short) for controlled starts and occlusal access, 36RD / 38RD (medium) for general sectioning, and 36RDL / 38RDL (long) for deep slots and molar crowns cut in one pass. All are available in sizes 010 and 012.
Not sure what the crown is made of? Reach for the diamond-cut series — it is the universal choice across metals and metal-ceramics — and switch to ZIRAMANT the moment a white, metal-free substructure appears. A cutter that stops progressing on an unexpectedly hard white material is usually telling you the crown is zirconia.
FAQ
What bur removes a zirconia crown?
A zirconia-specific diamond cutter such as the ZIRAMANT 6880Z or 6855Z, or a coarse-grit diamond instrument — not a standard carbide crown cutter.
What speed for crown cutting?
Busch specifies 180,000–200,000 min⁻¹ for its carbide crown cutters and 140,000–160,000 min⁻¹ for ZIRAMANT, with water cooling.
Can one cutter do every crown?
The diamond-cut series comes closest, covering all metal and metal-ceramic crowns — but sintered zirconia always requires diamond abrasion.
Shop the full Busch Crown Cutter collection and the Crown Cutting procedure collection. All Busch instruments are manufactured by Busch & Co. in Engelskirchen, Germany. Application data is from official Busch documentation; clinical judgment and the instrument packaging govern actual use. See also our Comparison Chart, Color Coding Guide, and Glossary.
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