Dental & Surgical Scissor Selection Guide

Every scissors on a dental tray is a specialist. Some spread tissue instead of cutting it, some are built for suture, some for gingival trimming, some for crowns and bands — and using the wrong one either traumatizes tissue or ruins the instrument. This chart compares every scissors pattern in the Helmut Zepf range we carry: what each is for, what it is not for, and where to find it.

Quick comparison: every scissors pattern at a glance

Three questions that pick the right scissors

1. Tissue, suture, or metal? Tissue work splits between dissecting (Metzenbaum), trimming (Iris, Goldman Fox, La Grange) and utility cutting (Surgical #2/#3, Kelly, Dean). Suture belongs to the Surgical patterns and the Spencer — never a Metzenbaum, which suture will dull. Crowns, bands and matrix strips belong to the Beebee and Universal crown & collar scissors only.

2. How delicate, and how deep? The finer the tissue, the finer the tip: Castroviejo under magnification, Iris and Strabismus for detail, Metzenbaum for planes, the long patterns (Kelly 16 cm, Dean 17 cm) when the site is deep.

3. What's in the way? Straight blades cut the cleanest line; curved blades follow the arch and keep your hand out of the sightline; compound curves (La Grange, Goldman Fox 46.207) and offset handles (Locklin) reach interproximal and posterior sites nothing else can.

The patterns, one by one

Surgical Scissors #2 & #3

The everyday utility pattern — the closest thing on a dental tray to classic Mayo-style operating scissors. Best for: General cutting: dressings, drapes, membranes, sutures, everyday tissue work. The blunt tip on the #2 rides safely against tissue. Not for: Fine dissection or delicate mucosa — that's Metzenbaum / Iris territory.

In the shop: Surgical Scissors #2, blunt/sharp, 13 cm — No. 46.402.13 · Surgical Scissors #2, blunt/sharp, 14.5 cm — No. 46.402.14 · Surgical Scissors #3, sharp/sharp, 13 cm — No. 46.404.13 · Surgical Scissors #3, sharp/sharp, 14.5 cm — No. 46.404.14

Metzenbaum (Metz)

The dissector. Long slender blades, blunt/blunt tips — built to spread and undermine tissue planes, not to power-cut. Best for: Flap elevation, tissue undermining and release, periosteal stripping, soft-tissue grafting, implant-site flap management. Not for: Suture — it dulls the finely ground edge. Use Surgical #2/#3 or a Spencer.

In the shop: Metzenbaum curved, serrated, 14 cm — No. 46.431.14 · Metzenbaum curved, Supercut, 14 cm — No. 46.431.14SC · Metzenbaum curved, Supercut Onyx, 14 cm — No. 46.431.14TISC · Metzenbaum straight, 14.5 cm — No. 46.516.14 · Metzenbaum curved, 14.5 cm — No. 46.517.14

Iris

The fine-detail scissors. Small, with very fine sharp points for work where you must see exactly what the tip is doing. Best for: Trimming tissue tags, fine margin work, small precise cuts, suture removal in tight anterior sites. Not for: Levering, heavy tissue, wire — the fine tips bend and dull.

In the shop: Iris straight, serrated, 11.5 cm — No. 46.050.11 · Iris straight, Supercut — No. 46.050.11SC · Iris straight, tungsten carbide — No. 46.050.11TC · Iris straight, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.050.11TISC · Iris curved, serrated — No. 46.051.11 · Iris curved, Supercut — No. 46.051.11SC · Iris curved, tungsten carbide — No. 46.051.11TC · Iris curved, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.051.11TISC

Goldman Fox

The periodontal cutting scissors — finer than a utility pattern, made for precise trimming of gingival tissue at the margin. Best for: Gingival trimming and contouring, gingivectomy refinement, precise cutting of soft tissue and materials at the margin. Not for: Blunt dissection — reach for the Metzenbaum.

In the shop: Goldman Fox straight, serrated — No. 46.200.13 · Goldman Fox straight, Supercut — No. 46.200.13SC · Goldman Fox straight, tungsten carbide — No. 46.200.13TC · Goldman Fox straight, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.200.13TISC · Goldman Fox curved, serrated — No. 46.201.13 · Goldman Fox curved, Supercut — No. 46.201.13SC · Goldman Fox curved, tungsten carbide — No. 46.201.13TC · Goldman Fox curved, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.201.13TISC · Goldman Fox compound curved, serrated — No. 46.207.13 · Goldman Fox compound curved, Supercut — No. 46.207.13SC

La Grange

Compound-curved perio scissors — the double curve keeps your hand out of the line of sight for interproximal and tuberosity work. Best for: Gingivectomy and interproximal tissue trimming, tuberosity reduction, posterior sites where a single curve can't reach. Not for: General utility cutting.

In the shop: La Grange, serrated — No. 46.057.11 · La Grange, Supercut — No. 46.057.11SC · La Grange, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.057.11TISC

Kelly

The long utility scissors — 16 cm of reach with a working curve, for cutting where shorter patterns run out of handle. Best for: General cutting with reach: posterior tissue, membranes, sutures deep in the field. Not for: Micro work.

In the shop: Kelly curved, serrated — No. 46.077.16 · Kelly curved, Supercut — No. 46.077.16SC · Kelly curved, tungsten carbide — No. 46.077.16TC · Kelly curved, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.077.16TISC

Joseph

Fine plastic-surgery pattern — slender curved blades for controlled soft-tissue dissection and trimming. Best for: Fine soft-tissue dissection and trimming in aesthetic and plastic periodontal procedures. Not for: Heavy tissue.

In the shop: Joseph curved, serrated — No. 46.081.16 · Joseph curved, Supercut — No. 46.081.16SC · Joseph curved, Supercut Onyx — No. 46.081.16TISC

Locklin

Offset-handle gum scissors — the angled shank keeps your hand clear while the blades work flat against posterior tissue. Best for: Trimming tissue in hard-to-reach posterior areas; distal wedge and operculum work; suture removal at the back of the mouth. Not for: Anterior fine detail — an Iris is easier to control there.

In the shop: Locklin, serrated — No. 46.111.16 · Locklin, Supercut — No. 46.111.16SC

Dean

The oral-surgery utility classic — 17 cm, angled serrated blades that grip as they cut. Best for: Cutting sutures and trimming gingiva in oral surgery; the serrations stop slippery tissue and suture sliding out of the cut. Not for: Delicate mucosa.

In the shop: Dean, serrated — No. 46.123.17 · Dean, Supercut — No. 46.123.17SC · Dean, tungsten carbide — No. 46.123.17TC · Dean, serrated Onyx — No. 46.123.17TISC

Tower Point

Tapered, narrow tips on a working curve — for slipping into tight spaces without displacing tissue. Best for: Trimming in tight interdental and tunnel sites where standard tips won't fit. Not for: General utility.

In the shop: Tower Point, curved — No. 46.221.12

Strabismus

Between an Iris and a Metzenbaum — small, with slender blades for delicate work needing slightly more reach than an Iris. Best for: Delicate tissue work and graft trimming where an Iris is too short and a Metzenbaum too large. Not for: Heavy cutting.

In the shop: Strabismus, curved — No. 46.069.11

Castroviejo (micro)

Spring-handle microsurgical scissors — precision from the fingertips, for work under magnification. Best for: Microsurgery and periodontal plastic surgery: papilla handling, graft refinement, microsuture work under loupes or a scope. Not for: Anything with resistance — spring handles are for micro loads only.

In the shop: Castroviejo curved, 17 cm — No. 46.319.17 · Castroviejo curved, 18 cm — No. 46.319.17N · Castroviejo curved Onyx, 17 cm — No. 46.319.17TISC · Castroviejo 45° angulated, 16 cm — No. 46.321.16 · Castroviejo 45° angulated Onyx — No. 46.321.16TISC · Micro Spring Castroviejo TOUCHGRIP, 17 cm — No. 46.319.17HZU

Spencer (suture)

The dedicated suture-removal scissors — a hooked notch on one blade slides under the loop and holds it for a clean cut. Best for: Suture removal. The notch captures the suture so nothing else gets cut. Not for: Tissue.

In the shop: Spencer, 9 cm — No. 46.640.09 · Spencer, 13 cm — No. 46.640.13

Beebee & Universal (crown & collar)

Short, strong blades for metal and materials — crowns, bands, matrix strips — not for tissue. Best for: Trimming crowns, copings, matrix bands and cervical collars; the TC-jaw Universal handles harder alloys. Not for: Tissue of any kind.

In the shop: Beebee straight, 10 cm — No. 46.674.10 · Beebee curved, 10 cm — No. 46.675.10 · Universal crown & collar, 12 cm — No. 46.685.12 · Universal crown & collar, TC jaws — No. 46.885.12TC

Hold-N-Cut

Dr. Dietmar Weng's combination micro needle holder and scissors — suture and cut without changing instruments. Best for: Microsurgical suturing where instrument changes cost time and precision. Not for: General cutting.

In the shop: Hold-N-Cut — No. 41.015.17

Edge options: serrated, Supercut, tungsten carbide, Onyx

Most tissue patterns above come in up to four edge versions. Serrated — one blade serrated, so slippery tissue doesn't slide out of the cut. Supercut (SC) — a micro-serrated cutting edge on one blade for a cleaner shear with less pressure. Tungsten carbide (TC) — carbide inserts that hold an edge far longer between sharpenings. Onyx (TISC) — Supercut blades with a black coating that eliminates glare under loupes and lights. When an edge finally goes, our scissors sharpening service (and serrated / micro-surgical versions) restores it.

FAQ

What are Mayo scissors used for in dentistry? As general utility scissors — tough tissue and suture. Our equivalent utility patterns are the Surgical Scissors #2/#3, Kelly and Dean; the Spencer handles suture removal.

What is the difference between Metzenbaum and Iris scissors? A Metzenbaum is a long, blunt-tipped dissecting scissors for spreading and undermining tissue planes; an Iris is a short, sharp-tipped scissors for fine trimming. One makes the space, the other finishes the edges.

Which scissors cut suture? Surgical Scissors #2/#3, Kelly, Dean — and the Spencer, whose notched blade is made for suture removal. Never a Metzenbaum or Castroviejo.

What does blunt/blunt or blunt/sharp mean? The tip profile of the two blades. Blunt/blunt (Metzenbaum) protects tissue during dissection; blunt/sharp (Surgical #2) rides one safe tip against tissue while the other cuts; sharp/sharp (Iris, Surgical #3) is for precision.

What are crown and collar scissors? Short, strong-bladed scissors (Beebee, Universal) for cutting metal crowns, copings, bands and matrix material — never used on tissue.

See also: Metzenbaum Scissors Guide · Surgical Instrument Reprocessing & Sterilization Guide