Periodontal curette

The periodontal curette is a type of hand-activated instrument used in dentistry and dental hygiene for the purpose of scaling and root planing.

[2] This is vital to nonsurgical periodontal therapy because scaling and root planing reduces bacterial biofilms in the mouth that are associated with inflammation.

[5] Depending on the type of universal curette, shank length, design and blade size, application of usage may vary.

[1] Lastly, the 10/11 Loma Linda and R 144 Queen of Hearts have longer lower shanks with blade designs that are best suited for working along the line angles of the tooth surface.

[1] Prior to engaging in scaling and root planing, proper positioning of patient and operator should be adjusted, and adequate illumination and retraction should be obtained for optimal visibility of the target area.

Gracey curettes are especially ideal for subgingival calculus removal because the design of the instrument allows for better adaptation to the anatomy of the roots.

In addition to the traditional Gracey curettes, there are also modified designs with extended shanks or miniature and micro-miniature working ends.

[1] The micro-miniature working ends are more rigid and are 20% thinner than that of a miniature curette, allowing them to access tight pockets without tissue trauma.

[5] In order to select the correct working end of an anterior Gracey curette, the face of the instrument must tilt towards the tooth.

[5] One of the main advantages of periodontal curettes is that in comparison to sickle scalers, they are finer and do not contain sharp points or corners other than the cutting edges on the blade.

[3] This means that unlike sickle scalers, curettes can be adapted around the tooth surface and can provide better access to deep pockets with minimal soft tissue trauma.

[3] Sickle scalers tend to have a stronger tip that is less likely to break off during use due to the triangular cross sectional design of the working end.

Universal curettes have sharp cutting edges on both sides of their blades. Therefore, only two instruments are necessary – anterior (pink ring) and posterior (purple ring). [ 5 ]
Gracey curettes have sharp cutting edges on only one side of their blades. There are two site-specific Gracey curettes – posterior mesial (white ring) and posterior distal (blue ring), in addition to the anterior curette (red ring). [ 5 ]
While the blade of the universal curette is situated perpendicular to the edge of the terminal shank, the blade of the Gracey curette is only offset by 70 degrees, giving the blade a lower cutting edge and an upper non-cutting edge. [ 5 ]