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Subgingival curettes can be in a universal or Gracey configuration.
The Gracey is more commonly used. The blade is angled at 70°
to the shaft and has only one cutting edge.
For universal curettes, the half moon shape blade is perpendicular
to the shaft with cutting edges on both sides.
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Subgingival scalers - gracey type |
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Gracey curettes are numbered and, the higher the number, the more
caudal the area of the mouth in which they can be used. Due to better
access in veterinary dentistry, only a few of the range of dental
curette shapes are required. The most commonly used is Gracey 13/14,
11/12 and 5/6.
To use subgingivally, push the blade to the floor of the sulcus
and engage the enamel or cement surface and clean off debris with
a sharp, but sustained, up-stroke. The curette requires a modified
pen grip with a fulcrum (or rest) on an adjacent tooth or the
jaw.
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