Hygiene Atlas

Start here · Tools · Exam instruments

Mouth mirror

Also called: dental mirror, mirror

A small round mirror on a handle that lets you see, light and hold back tissue.

The mouth mirror is on almost every tray. It does four jobs: indirect vision (seeing a spot you cannot look at straight on), retraction (holding the cheek or tongue out of the way), illumination (bouncing light into a dark area) and transillumination (shining light through front teeth). Most heads screw onto the handle, so a scratched head can be swapped.

How to spot it

  • A flat round mirror head, about 2 to 2.5 cm across, on a thin stem and a straight handle.
  • Head sizes are numbered; a #4 (22 mm) or #5 (24 mm) head is a common adult size.
  • Do not confuse it with a lighted mirror, which has a battery handle and a built-in light.

What it is used for

  • Picked up first on most trays, together with the explorer.
  • The dentist or hygienist holds it in the non-dominant hand while the other hand works.
  • The assistant may use a second mirror to retract the cheek and keep it fog-free with a light stream of air.

Safety and care

  • Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
  • Mirror glass scratches easily: do not scrub it with abrasives, and replace cloudy or scratched heads.

Related

Sources: Dental Update. Technique tips: a reflection on mouth mirrors, types, usage and modifications, 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, CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), Hu-Friedy Group. #4 Front Surface Mouth Mirror and #5 European Front Surface Mouth Mirror product pages