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Gracey 13/14

Also called: Gracey 13/14, distal Gracey

The Gracey for the distal (back-facing) surfaces of back teeth.

The Gracey 13/14 has a more sharply angled shank than the 11/12, so it can wrap around to reach the distal surfaces (the sides facing the back of the mouth) of premolars and molars.

How to spot it

  • A sharply angled shank, more so than the 11/12.
  • Read the number on the handle: 13/14 is for distal surfaces, 11/12 for mesial.

What it is used for

Safety and care

  • Critical item (it goes into soft tissue or touches bone): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
  • Sharp working end: carry it point-down in a closed cassette, and never reach blindly into a pile of instruments.

Related

Sources: Gehrig JS, Shin DE. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation and Advanced Root Instrumentation, 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett, 2023 (plus Newman & Carranza's Clinical Periodontology), Wikipedia. Periodontal curette (pointer only, CC BY-SA), Alharbi H. Periodontal Hand Instruments (lecture handout). King Saud University, 2016-2017, Hu-Friedy Group. Standard Gracey curettes product category, Dentalcare.com CE569. 15/16 and 17/18 Gracey Curettes