Hemostatic Forceps

Hemostatic forceps (fig. 5-12) look very much like needle-holder forceps. The main difference is that the beaks of the hemostatic forceps are longer and more slender. They also have both curved and straight beaks, and there is a locking device on the handle to keep the beaks closed. These forceps are used in surgery to control hemorrhage by clamping or constricting blood vessels. In dental surgery, they are more commonly used to remove bits of debris, such as bone chips or parts of teeth, from the oral cavity.

Tissue Forceps

Tissue forceps (fig. 5-13) look like cotton forceps, but they have two very small, sharp-pointed extensions that form a W-shape when in the closed position. Although the tissue forceps are used in oral surgery to grasp and stabilize loose tissue ends during suturing procedures, they are mainly used to hold tissue being excised.

CUTTING INSTRUMENTS USED IN DENTAL SURGERY

When most people hear the word "surgery," the first thing they think about is the cutting of the body

Figure 5-12. - Hemostatic forceps. with scalpels.

Scalpels are not the only cutting instrument used in surgery, particularly dental surgery; for instance, curettes, chisel, rongeur forceps, and bone files are also used in some cutting functions.

Surgical Curettes

While surgical curettes are not strictly cutting instruments, they must do some cutting. Curettes are sharp, spoon-shaped instruments used to clean out infected cavities in bone and remove debris from the tooth sockets. They come in many sizes and in straight or angled shapes. The type used depends on the nature of the socket, curvature of the roots that were in the socket, and the location of the cavity. The single- ended Molt curettes have large handles. They are the straight #2 and #4 and the paired, angled #5L and #6R (L for left, and R for right). They are shown in figure 5-14. Other curettes in dental surgery may be double- ended and have slender handles.

Surgical Chisels

Surgical chisels may also be classified as cutting instruments. Like surgical burs, chisels are used to remove bone and to split teeth. Because their cutting

Figure 5-13. - Tissue forceps.

Figsure 5-14. - Single-ended surgical curettes.