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286 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

cause lacerations. The scaler should always be held
with a modified pen grasp and used in a rocking
motion from the gum line to the crown of the tooth.
See Figure 15.4 for a close‐up of the scaler tip.
• Tartar removal forceps – used to crack the heavy tartar
buildup from the surface of teeth (Figure 15.3,
bottom).
Luxators cut or weaken the periodontal ligament that
holds the tooth in the alveolar bone. They have a thin-
ner working end and should not be used to leverage a
tooth out as they may break (Figure 15.5, upper three
instruments). Elevators have a thicker working end and
are used to break down the ligament as well as leverage a
tooth out of the alveolar bone (Figure 15.5, lower two
instruments).
The tooth splitter is the first instrument on the left in
Figure 15.6. It is used to help split a tooth if it needs to
come out in pieces. Extraction forceps are the other
instruments in Figure 15.6 and they are used to remove
the tooth from the bone after it is completely elevated.

Learning Exercise

Look carefully at each instrument and notice
FIGURE 15.3 Dental hand instrument kit.
length, size, curvature of heads, or jaws. What
little differences are there to help you learn which
instrument is which? Take pictures and perhaps
put those in your refence book.

Curette

Scaler

FIGURE 15.4 Curette and scaler: close‐up of tips. FIGURE 15.5 Luxators and elevators.