Mishandled elevators | British Dental Journal

Sir, I read with interest the letter Mishandled Luxators1 that paints a picture of dentist incompetence through ubiquitous use of Luxators. I would like to add further to this by

highlighting the misuse of elevators.

(R) and (L) Warwick James ideally used for maxillary third molars can often break while luxating a bulky third molar with multiple roots. An ideal approach would be to use a straight

elevator that can combine a downward and distal rotation, thereby uniformly luxating the tooth. The blade of Warwick James or a Cryer's are designed to apply only distal rotation which in

due process can risk the fracture of the maxillary tuberosity.

The no. 9 Molt periosteal elevator, as the name suggests, is ideally used to reflect a mucoperiosteal flap but is as often misused as Luxators and elevators. They often become blunt, bent or

can traumatise the soft tissues due to inadequate finger rest.

This letter focuses on the specific use of elevators rather than diversifying its applications for all surgical procedures.

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