Etch, bond and flowable steps depend on small single-use items: dispensing tips, micro applicator brushes, mixing wells and mixing pads. The RCDSO's infection prevention and control (IPAC) standard requires single-use items to be discarded after use, so these disposables are consumed on every bonded restoration. This guide covers how to choose each one by gauge, grade and format, with Canadian prices from EBIKO Dental.
Most supply conversations in a restorative practice focus on the expensive bottles: the adhesive, the composite, the etchant. As of October 2026, the items that can run out mid-procedure are often the cheap ones around them. A missing 25-gauge etch tip or an empty tube of fine microbrushes can stall a bonding sequence just as surely as an empty adhesive bottle. This guide is about getting those small items right.
Why are bonding disposables single-use?
The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) Standard of Practice, Infection Prevention and Control in the Dental Office (approved November 2018), defines a single-use or disposable device as one designed by the manufacturer for single use only. The standard states that single-use devices are designed to be used on one patient and then discarded, not reprocessed for another patient. It also notes that they are usually not heat-tolerant and cannot be reliably cleaned or disinfected, so they must be disposed of appropriately after use. Elsewhere it puts the rule plainly: all single-use items must be disposed of following use.
For the bonding tray, the practical consequence is simple. Every dispensing tip, microbrush and disposable mixing well that touches a patient's procedure goes in the garbage at the end of it. That makes these items a per-procedure cost, which is exactly why choosing the right format matters: a tip that is too fine for the material, or a brush grade that does not suit the preparation, gets thrown out and replaced, doubling the consumption.
Pro Tip: Stock bonding disposables in the operatory in per-procedure kits (one etch tip, two microbrushes, one well) rather than open boxes. It keeps unused items away from aerosol and splatter and makes it obvious when a drawer needs restocking.
How do you choose a dispensing tip gauge?
Dispensing tips attach to syringes of etchant, flowable composite and other materials. The key number is the gauge. On our EBIKO Pre-Bent Dispensing Tips listing, the rule of thumb is stated directly: a lower gauge number means a wider opening. Choose a wider tip (18G to 20G) for thicker materials and a finer tip (22G to 25G) for etchant and other liquids.
EBIKO Pre-Bent Dispensing Tips
The EBIKO Pre-Bent Dispensing Tips come in six models from 18G to 25G, packed 100 tips per pack at $7.99 CAD per pack. The listing describes a pre-bent design for controlled material dispensing and compatibility with most standard syringes and dispensers. Available options:
- 18G Pink (EBK09007)
- 19G Black (EBK09008)
- 20G Black (EBK09009) and 20G Yellow (EBK09010)
- 22G Grey (EBK09011)
- 25G Blue, sold as etch tips (EBK09012)
Because every gauge is the same price, many practices keep two in rotation: the 25G blue for etchant and one wider gauge for their most-used viscous material.
Tips for Filtek Supreme Flowable syringes
Flowable composites often ship with their own cannula style. If your practice uses 3M Filtek Supreme Flowable Restorative, you have two options at EBIKO Dental:
- Dispensing Tips compatible with 3M Filtek Flowable Restorative, packaged under EBIKO's own brand and described on the listing as single-use cannulas for use with Filtek Supreme Flowable: $6.99 CAD for 20 or $29.99 CAD for 100.
- The branded 3M Filtek Supreme Flowable Dispensing Tips, 20 per pack at $19.99 CAD.
Pro Tip: Whichever tip you choose, confirm fit and flow on one syringe before you open a full box across all operatories. A 30-second chairside test beats discovering a mismatch mid-restoration.
Which micro applicator brush grade should you use?
Micro applicators, often called microbrushes, are small disposable applicators for controlled placement of dental materials, typically liquids such as adhesives, in areas a syringe tip cannot reach evenly. The grade (tip size) should match the area you are coating: a broader tip for larger preparations, a finer tip for narrow or hard-to-reach areas.
- EBIKO Dental Micro Applicator Brushes come in Regular, Fine and Super Fine grades. Each 400-pack contains four tubes of 100 applicators of the selected grade, at $12.99 CAD per pack. The listing identifies these options by grade rather than by a millimetre size.
- Cotisen Super Fine Dental Micro Applicators, 1.0 mm are the option to choose if your protocol calls for an applicator specified at 1.0 mm: 400 per pack at $21.99 CAD.
As the EBIKO listing advises, check the material manufacturer's application instructions to confirm an applicator is suitable for their product.
Mixing wells or mixing pads?
Some adhesives are dispensed straight from the bottle onto the brush; others (and many cements) need a surface to dispense or mix on. Both of the following are disposable, so they fit the single-use workflow above.
Disposable mixing wells
The EBIKO Disposable Plastic Mixing Wells are single-use white plastic wells for composites, adhesives and cements. They come in two layouts:
- 2 wells per piece, 500 per pack: $29.99 CAD
- 4 wells per piece, 200 per pack: $18.99 CAD
A two-well piece suits a two-component or two-step adhesive; a four-well piece gives room when you dispense more than one material for the same appointment.
Mixing pads
EBIKO Dental Mixing Pads are described as having a non-absorbent surface for cements, composites and adhesives. They come in 2" × 2", 3" × 3" and 3" × 6" sizes, with 50 sheets per pad. Single pads start at $3.99 CAD (2" × 2"), and 10-pad packs are available in each size. Choose a pad when a material is mixed with a spatula on a flat surface rather than in a well.
Where does etchant fit in?
If you use a total-etch or selective-etch technique, the etchant syringe and its tips belong on the same restock list. The Pulpdent Etch-Rite ETCH Dental Etch Gel Kit includes four prefilled 1.2 mL syringes of 38% phosphoric acid etching gel plus eight applicator tips, at $29.99 CAD. The listing describes a blue, thixotropic gel that rinses away with water; follow Pulpdent's current instructions for substrate-specific use. For refills, the Pre-Bent range includes 25G blue tips sold as etch tips; confirm fit with your etchant syringe first.
A simple bonding-tray restock plan
- Count per procedure, not per box. Note how many tips, brushes and wells your team uses on a typical bonded restoration, then multiply by your weekly volume.
- Standardize gauges and grades. For many practices, two tip gauges and two brush grades are enough; more options mostly create half-empty boxes.
- Restock as a set. Order tips, brushes, wells and etchant together so one item never stalls the sequence.
- Check single-use discipline. The tips, brushes, wells and pad sheets in this guide are single-use. Make sure new team members know that RCDSO's standard requires single-use items to be discarded after use.
Order bonding disposables from EBIKO Dental
EBIKO Dental ships from Ontario with free shipping on orders of $99+ CAD in the GTA, $199+ CAD in the rest of Ontario and $299+ CAD across the rest of Canada (before tax; some remote areas excluded), plus a price match program. Whether your practice is in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham or North York, a restock of tips, brushes and wells can usually be combined with your regular order to clear the threshold. Shop restorative supplies at EBIKO Dental.
Which tip gauges and brush grades does your team actually reach for? Tell us what is on your bonding tray.
Sources
- Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. Infection Prevention and Control in the Dental Office, Standard of Practice (approved November 2018).
- EBIKO Dental product listings linked above (specifications and prices as listed in October 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can dental dispensing tips and microbrushes be sterilized and reused?
No, not when they are designed as single-use. The RCDSO's IPAC Standard of Practice states that single-use devices are designed to be used on one patient and then discarded, not reprocessed, and that all single-use items must be disposed of following use.
Q: What gauge dispensing tip should I use for etchant?
Use a fine gauge. EBIKO's Pre-Bent Dispensing Tips recommend 22G to 25G for etchant and other liquids, and the 25G blue tips are sold as etch tips. Wider 18G to 20G tips suit thicker materials.
Q: How many microbrushes come in an EBIKO micro applicator pack?
Each EBIKO Dental Micro Applicator Brushes pack contains 400 applicators in four tubes of 100, in the grade you select: Regular, Fine or Super Fine. The pack is $12.99 CAD.