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Cotton pliers (dressing forceps)
Also called: cotton forceps, college pliers, tweezers, locking cotton pliers
Long angled tweezers for carrying small items into and out of the mouth.
Cotton pliers are angled tweezers. They carry cotton pellets, cotton rolls, wedges, small instruments and other little items in and out of the mouth, and they pick up things that drop. Some have a small lock so the beaks stay closed on what they hold.
How to spot it
- Two long arms joined at one end, with tips bent at an angle.
- Tips may be smooth or serrated (grooved); some have a sliding lock.
- Shorter and finer than surgical hemostats, with no finger rings.
What it is used for
- Part of every basic setup with mirror and explorer.
- When you pass them, keep a grip on the beaks so they stay closed and nothing falls; take them back with the working end in your palm.
Safety and care
- Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
Related
Sources: Dentalcare.com CE643. The Concepts of Four-handed Dentistry Including Ergonomic Instrument Transfer. Pages: zones of activity, single-handed transfer, two-handed transfer, scissors/hinged instruments, syringe transfer, non-locking forceps, Alharbi H. Periodontal Hand Instruments (lecture handout). King Saud University, 2016-2017, CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17)