Root Elevators: Types, Models and Use in Dentistry

Root elevators are lever instruments used to loosen teeth and root remnants and lift them out of the socket, before or instead of using forceps. They are placed between the root and the alveolar bone, widen the socket and sever the fibres of the periodontal ligament. Depending on blade shape, angulation and handle, an elevator is suited to whole teeth, single roots or fine root tips. This guide presents the common root elevators by design and shows which model is intended for which situation.

Key points at a glance

• Straight root elevators (Bein, Coupland, straight Flohr) are mainly used for luxating and loosening, usually in the upper jaw and the anterior region.
• Curved elevator pairs (Flohr, Winter, Cryer) are available for right and left. They reach roots in the posterior region and the lower jaw.
• Fine and apical root elevators (Heidbrink, Apexo, apical elevators) with a very narrow blade retrieve fractured root tips from deep in the socket.
• Root elevators work with leverage. Support is always taken on the bone, never on the adjacent tooth.

Straight root elevators

Straight elevators have a grooved blade in line with the handle. They are pushed into the periodontal space parallel to the tooth axis and used with a rotating and levering motion to loosen the tooth before the forceps is applied.

• Bein root elevators: the classic straight elevator in several blade widths, for example as the Bein root elevator set of 6, the Bein root elevator Fig. 3S or in bayonet form as the Bein bayonet root elevator 3 mm.
• Coupland root elevators: straight elevators with a sturdy blade in 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm width.
• Flohr root elevator, straight: the straight Flohr root elevator is the straight counterpart to the curved Flohr elevators. With a narrow tip it is available as the pointed Flohr root elevator.

Curved root elevators (right and left)

Curved elevators are angled at the working end and are offered in pairs for the right and left side. They let you reach roots in the posterior region and the lower jaw that a straight elevator cannot reach.

• Flohr elevators: Flohr right and Flohr left, for lower roots also as Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
• Winter elevators: Winter right, curved and Winter left, curved, mainly for roots in the lower jaw.
• Cryer elevators: with a triangular blade, the pair Cryer 27 (left) and Cryer 28 (right). A typical use is removing a root after the neighbouring root has been extracted.
• Seldin elevators: angled elevator, available in the shop as Seldin left.

Fine elevators for root remnants and root tips

If a root tip fractures, you need a particularly narrow instrument that reaches deep into the socket without damaging the surrounding bone.

• Heidbrink root elevators: fine elevators for root remnants, as Heidbrink straight, Heidbrink right and Heidbrink left.
• Schmeckebier Apexo root elevators: straight, right and left for root tips.
• Apical root elevators: individually, such as the Apical root elevator 301, or as a set of 7.

Root elevator, luxator or periotome?

Root elevators work with leverage. Luxators and periotomes, by contrast, have very thin, sharp blades that mainly sever the fibres of the periodontal ligament and spare the bone. In practice, all three instruments are often used one after the other. The differences are explained in the guide Luxator, periotome or root elevator?.

Working safely with root elevators

• Always support the elevator on the alveolar bone, never on the adjacent tooth.
• Support the jaw with your free hand and position your fingers so that any slip is caught.
• Work in a controlled way with little force. Loosening comes before lifting out.
• Check the blades for bending and blunt edges after every reprocessing cycle.

For an extraction, the tray should hold not only the elevators but also local anaesthesia with an aspirating dental syringe, a mouth gag for longer procedures and the right forceps. Which forceps is intended for which tooth is shown in the guide Extraction forceps. Complete elevator sets can be found under Instrument sets, all individual elevators in the category Root elevators, elevators and excavators and the full range under Dental instruments.

Frequently asked questions

Which root elevator is suitable for roots that are difficult to access?

Curved elevator pairs by Flohr, Winter or Cryer. They are angled at the working end and reach roots in the posterior region and the lower jaw.

What is the difference between Bein and Flohr elevators?

The Bein elevator is straight and is mainly used for luxation. Flohr elevators are available straight, but above all as a curved pair for right and left.

How do you remove a fractured root tip?

With particularly narrow elevators such as Heidbrink elevators, the Schmeckebier Apexo root elevator or apical root elevators.

May you support the root elevator on the adjacent tooth?

No. Support is always taken on the alveolar bone. Otherwise the adjacent tooth can be loosened or damaged.