Armamentarium or Instruments used in Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery means diagnosis and treatment of oral conditions of the teeth, jaw and oral structures which require surgical intervention. The specialty is also called as Oral and Maxillofacial surgery which tends to involve a larger area of the Oral cavity and Facial muscles, nerves and bones. It involves the diagnosis and surgical treatment of congenital or acquired diseases, dysfunction, defects or injuries of the mouth, jaws, face, neck and adjacent craniofacial region.

Instruments used in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, this is important for students in Dental schools who need to know the instruments required and helps them prepare for the OMFS departments.

What are the Oral Surgical procedures which can be performed by a General Dentist?

The General Dentist is authorized or capable o only performing limited number of Surgical procedures and most major surgical procedures are left for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

• Simple Extractions
• Endodontic Surgeries
• Incision and drainage of abscess
• Alveoloplasty
• Pathological conditions involving oral mucosa and bone
• Minor traumatic tooth injuries not involving bone

The Armamentarium or Instruments used in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery:

Here are some of the basic instruments that i have listed out, please comment if i have missed any so that i can include it in the post.

• Maxillary and Mandibular Tooth Extraction Forceps
• Universal Tooth Extraction Forceps
• Dial/Molt Periosteal Elevator
• Miller’s apexo straight and angulated elevator (Uses Wedge principal)
• Straight Elevator (Hospital Elevator) (Uses Lever and Fulcrum principal)
• Coupland Elevator (Uses Lever and Fulcrum principal)
• Warwick James elevator ( Uses Lever and Fulcrum principal)
• Cryer Bar Elevator (Types: Mesial and Distal) (Uses Lever and Fulcrum principal)
• Cross Bar Elevator (Type Mesial and Distal) (Uses Wheel and Axle principal)
• Cheatle Forceps
• Swab holder
• Towel Clip (Butterfly Shape)
• Suction tip
• Suture Needle (curved round and half circle cutting body)
• Mayo needle holder
• Dunhill Straight and Curved artery forceps
• Tissue dissecting forceps
• Allies soft tissue holding forceps
• Surgical blades no. 10,11, 12, 15
• Bard Parker and Scalpel handle no 3 and 4
• Osteotome
• Eastman Chisel and Down’s stainless steel mallet
• Suture Material: Braided black silk (000), Catgut (plain and chromic)
• Mayo tissue dissecting scissor
• McIndoes Scissors (Flat and Round end)
• Curettes (Lucas/discoid/spoon shaped)
• Volkmanns scoop
• Bone ronger
• Austin’s flap retractor
• Ward’s double ended cheek retractor and tongue depressor
• Langens retractor (Right angle retractor)
• Stainless steel wire/wire cutter
• Erich arch bar
• Sinus dilator forcep
• Bone wax
• Ferguson mouth gascrew type/self retaining
• Histers Jaw stretcher
• Mouth Prop: McKesson rubber type, Mushins metal type
• Rubber Drain – Corrugated
• Kocher forcep
• Lion’s bone holding forcep
• Rowe’s disimpaction forcep
• Bristowe’s zygomatic arch elevator
• Lip Clip
• Bone curette
• BP blade or Scalpel Holder
• BP blades – No 10, No 11, No 12, No 15
• Butterfly cannula
• Oro pharyngeal air way, Laryngeal mask with cuff
• Laryngoscope

These are some of the essential instruments used in Minor Oral Surgical procedures in a dental clinic by either a General Dentist or an Oral Surgeon. Instruments in Oral Surgery are described as Name, Make or Instrument, Parts and Indications of the Instrument which we have explained in detail in the other posts – Maxillary Instruments and Mandibular Instruments.