Pattern
GC-9/10
The Gracey Curettes GC-11/12 is a dental product for dental use. Catalog code BI-247.
RMH3 Dental Gracey Curettes is a curette from RMH3 Dental.
This page carries 7 pattern options: GC-11/12, GC-7/8, GC-1/2, GC-9/10, GC-13/14, GC-3/4, GC-5/6.
Find it on our Instruments shelf, under Hygiene & Periodontal Instruments.
Orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day when the item is on our shelf (otherwise within 3 business days), and ground shipping is free over $10.
Product
- Manufacturer
- RMH3 Dental
- Manufacturer #
- BI-246
- Item code
- 057-0066
Catalog path
- Marketplace
- Clinical
- Category
- Instruments
- Subcategory
- Hygiene & Periodontal Instruments
Ordering
- Status
- Ships in 3 business days
More from Hygiene & Periodontal Instruments
Stocked in the same subcategory.
Questions
What is RMH3 Dental Gracey Curettes used for?
The Gracey Curettes GC-11/12 is a dental product for dental use.
Which pattern options are on this page?
This page carries 7 pattern options: GC-11/12, GC-7/8, GC-1/2, GC-9/10, GC-13/14, GC-3/4, GC-5/6. Pick one to see its price, part number and stock.
When does it ship?
In-stock orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day; anything not on our shelf ships within 3 business days.Ground shipping is free over $10.
About periodontal curettes
A curette has a handle, a shank and a working end whose two sides carry cutting edges that meet at a curved toe. Area-specific curettes are a numbered set of fourteen, each shaped for a particular part of the dentition. They differ from a universal curette in having a blade angled about 60 to 70 degrees to the lower shank, a single cutting edge, and an offset blade that curves upwards and to the side. Modified patterns exist: some have terminal shanks 3 mm longer than standard to reach pockets deeper than 5 mm, and others have blades half the usual length for deep, narrow pockets.
Scaling and root planing are two of the central steps of periodontal treatment, aimed at a biologically acceptable root surface, less inflammation, shallower pockets and more attachment. Curettes are described as the most useful and most commonly used manual instruments for that work. Biofilm and calculus below the gum line are removed either with these hand instruments or with power-driven sonic and ultrasonic devices. The FDA lists the periodontic curette, the periodontic scaler, the periodontic file, the periodontic hoe and the hand instrument for calculus removal among dental hand instruments, a Class I device (21 CFR 872.4565).
ISO 13397 is the standard for this family; its first part sets the general material and performance requirements for periodontal curettes, dental scalers and excavators. The powered equivalent is a different device class: a rotary scaler is an abrasive device attached to a powered handpiece to remove calculus deposits, and the FDA classes it as Class II (21 CFR 872.4840).
How curettes and scalers differ
- Curettes — The rounded-toe instrument of the pair, made for work below the gum line. Its designs and dimensions are set by part 2 of ISO 13397.
- Scalers — Covered by different parts of the same standard than curettes are, each with its own dimensions. Its powered counterpart is a separate device: an abrasive rotary scaler driven by a handpiece.
What to look at when choosing a hygiene instrument
Sharpness: a sharp cutting edge has been associated with more tactile sensitivity, more patient comfort and less lateral pressure, which means less operator fatigue and strain.
Upkeep: hand instruments need regular sharpening, and they can only be sharpened a given number of times before the shape of the instrument is compromised.
Blade width: working edge widths have been linked to how efficiently calculus is removed, how much the surrounding tissue is disturbed, and whether a furcation can be reached.
Consistency between instruments: a study of unused curettes found that working ends differed in shape between makers and even between batches.
Shank and blade length: longer shanks reach deeper pockets, shorter blades fit narrow ones.
Reprocessing: the CDC classes instruments that touch mucous membranes as semicritical, and most can and therefore should be heat sterilized.
Sources: Nimmanon et al. 2022, Scanning electron microscope analysis of working ends of standard and modified Gracey curettes (J Indian Soc Periodontol) · Clinical efficacy of hand and power-driven instruments for subgingival instrumentation during periodontal surgical therapy: a systematic review, 2023 (Clin Oral Investig) · FDA 21 CFR 872.4565, Dental hand instrument · ISO 13397-1:1995, Periodontal curettes, dental scalers and excavators — Part 1: General requirements · FDA 21 CFR 872.4840, Rotary scaler · ISO 13397-2:2005, Dentistry — Periodontal curettes, dental scalers and excavators — Part 2: Periodontal curettes of Gr-type · ISO 13397-3:1996, Periodontal curettes, dental scalers and excavators — Part 3: Dental scalers — H-type · ISO 13397-5:2015, Dentistry — Periodontal curettes, dental scalers and excavators — Part 5: Jacquette scalers · Periodontal instrumentation technique: an exploratory analysis of clinical outcomes and financial aspects, 2023 (Br Dent J) · CDC: Best Practices for Sterilization in Dental Settings
