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 — with a comparison of the Standard, Supercut, TC and Onyx editions most patterns come in.
Revised on September 30, 2026
Six minutes, all 15 patterns — or skip to the chart below. Watch on YouTube.
Video chapters & full transcript
- 0:00 — Every scissors is a specialist
- 0:24 — Three questions that pick the right scissors
- 0:51 — Family 1 — Utility: Surgical #2/#3, Kelly, Dean
- 1:41 — Family 2 — The dissector: Metzenbaum
- 2:33 — Family 3 — The trimmers: Iris, Goldman Fox, La Grange, Joseph, Strabismus, Tower Point, Locklin
- 3:42 — Family 4 — Micro: Castroviejo & Hold-N-Cut
- 4:19 — Family 5 — Suture removal: Spencer
- 4:33 — Family 6 — Metal: Beebee & Universal
- 4:54 — Which edge: Standard, Serrated, Supercut, TC, ONYX
- 5:30 — Which scissors for which job — recap
Every pair of scissors on a dental tray is a specialist. Some spread tissue instead of cutting it. Some are for suture. Some for gum. Some for metal. Pick the wrong one, and you either traumatize tissue... or ruin a very good instrument. So let's sort them out — by the job.
Three questions pick the right scissors. One: tissue, suture, or metal? Two: how delicate, and how deep? Three: what's in the way — a straight line, a curve, or a bend that keeps your hand out of your own sightline? Answer those, and the tray sorts itself into families.
Family one: utility. The job people usually call "Mayo" — tough tissue, membranes, and suture. The workhorse is the Surgical Scissors, number two and number three. The two has one blunt tip that rides safely against tissue while the other blade cuts. The three is sharp on both. Need reach? The Kelly — sixteen centimeters, curved, for posterior tissue and sutures deep in the field. Need grip? The Dean — seventeen centimeters, angled, serrated, so slippery tissue and suture can't slide out of the cut.
Family two has one member, and it's the one worth knowing best: the Metzenbaum. Long, slender blades, blunt tips on both — "blunt slash blunt" on the listing. It isn't really for cutting. It's for spreading. Slide the closed tips into a tissue plane and open them — flap elevation, undermining, tissue release, periosteal stripping, grafting. Curved follows the arch; straight gives a cleaner line. One rule. Never cut suture with a Metzenbaum. That fine edge dulls fast. Suture is family one's job.
Family three: the trimmers — fine, sharp, made for gum and margin. The Iris is the small one: eleven and a half centimeters, needle tips, for tissue tags and cuts where you need to see exactly what the point is doing. The Goldman Fox is the periodontal trimmer — straight, curved, or compound-curved — for gingival contouring. The La Grange takes that double curve into interproximal and tuberosity sites nothing else reaches. The Joseph, for fine dissection in aesthetic perio. The Strabismus, when an Iris is too short and a Metzenbaum too big. The Tower Point, tapered tips for tunnels and tight interdental sites. And the Locklin — offset handle, so the blades work flat against posterior tissue while your hand stays clear.
Family four: micro. The Castroviejo — spring handles, micro-serrated tips — for perio plastic surgery under loupes or a scope. Papilla handling. Graft refinement. Micro-suture. Micro loads only; never anything with resistance. And the Hold-N-Cut, a micro needle holder and scissors in one, so you suture and cut without changing instruments.
Family five: suture removal. The Spencer. A notch on one blade hooks the loop and holds it, so the suture is the only thing that gets cut.
Family six: metal. Crowns, copings, bands, matrix strips — none of that touches a tissue scissors. That's the Beebee crown and collar scissors, and the Universal with tungsten carbide jaws for harder alloys.
Last thing — the edge. Most tissue patterns come four ways. Standard. Serrated — one blade serrated so tissue doesn't slide. Supercut — a micro-serrated edge for a cleaner shear with less pressure. Tungsten carbide, which holds an edge far longer. And Onyx — Supercut blades with a black coating that kills glare under your loupes.
So. Heavy tissue and suture — Surgical, Kelly, Dean. Making space — Metzenbaum. Trimming the margin — Iris, Goldman Fox, La Grange. Under magnification — Castroviejo. Sutures out — Spencer. Metal — Beebee. All of them German-made by Helmut Zepf, at DeutscheDT.com — full selection guide linked below. Right scissors. Right job.
Quick comparison: every scissors pattern at a glance
| Pattern | Best For | Not For |
|---|---|---|
|
Surgical Scissors Shop Collection |
General cutting: dressings, drapes, membranes, sutures, everyday tissue work. The blunt tip on the #2 rides safely against tissue. | Fine dissection or delicate mucosa — that's Metzenbaum / Iris territory. |
|
Metzenbaum (Metz) Shop Collection |
Flap elevation, tissue undermining and release, periosteal stripping, soft-tissue grafting, implant-site flap management. | Suture — it dulls the finely ground edge. Use Surgical #2/#3 or a Spencer. |
|
Iris Shop Collection |
Trimming tissue tags, fine margin work, small precise cuts, suture removal in tight anterior sites. | Levering, heavy tissue, wire — the fine tips bend and dull. |
|
Goldman Fox Shop Collection |
Gingival trimming and contouring, gingivectomy refinement, precise cutting of soft tissue and materials at the margin. | Blunt dissection — reach for the Metzenbaum. |
|
La Grange Shop Collection |
Gingivectomy and interproximal tissue trimming, tuberosity reduction, posterior sites where a single curve can't reach. | General utility cutting. |
|
Kelly Shop Collection |
General cutting with reach: posterior tissue, membranes, sutures deep in the field. | Micro work. |
|
Joseph Shop Collection |
Fine soft-tissue dissection and trimming in aesthetic and plastic periodontal procedures. | Heavy tissue. |
|
Locklin Shop Collection |
Trimming tissue in hard-to-reach posterior areas; distal wedge and operculum work; suture removal at the back of the mouth. | Anterior fine detail — an Iris is easier to control there. |
|
Dean Shop Collection |
Cutting sutures and trimming gingiva in oral surgery; the serrations stop slippery tissue and suture sliding out of the cut. | Delicate mucosa. |
|
Tower Point Shop Collection |
Trimming in tight interdental and tunnel sites where standard tips won't fit. | General utility. |
|
Strabismus Shop Collection |
Delicate tissue work and graft trimming where an Iris is too short and a Metzenbaum too large. | Heavy cutting. |
|
Castroviejo (micro) Shop Collection |
Microsurgery and periodontal plastic surgery: papilla handling, graft refinement, microsuture work under loupes or a scope. | Anything with resistance — spring handles are for micro loads only. |
|
Spencer (suture) Shop Collection |
Suture removal. The notch captures the suture so nothing else gets cut. | Tissue. |
|
Beebee & Universal (crown & collar) Shop Collection |
Trimming crowns, copings, matrix bands and cervical collars; the TC-jaw Universal handles harder alloys. | Tissue of any kind. |
|
Hold-N-Cut Shop Collection |
Microsurgical suturing where instrument changes cost time and precision. | General cutting. |
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.
Shop the Surgical Scissors #2 & #3 collection
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.
Shop the Metzenbaum collection
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.
Shop the Goldman Fox collection
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.
Shop the Tower Point collection
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.
Shop the Strabismus collection
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.
Shop the Castroviejo collection
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.
Shop the Beebee & Universal collection
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.
Shop the Hold-N-Cut collection
In the shop: Hold-N-Cut — No. 41.015.17
Standard, Supercut, TC or Onyx: which edge?
Most of the patterns above are made in more than one style, and the style decides how the scissors cuts, how long it stays sharp and how it looks under your loupes. The pattern (Iris, Metzenbaum, Goldman Fox and so on) sets the shape and the job; the style sets the edge. Helmut Zepf builds four: Standard, the everyday edge, usually with one serrated blade to hold tissue; Supercut (SC), one micro-serrated blade paired with a razor-honed blade for a cleaner shear with less hand pressure; Tungsten Carbide (TC), a hard carbide insert brazed into each blade that holds its edge many times longer than steel; and Onyx (TISC), a Supercut edge finished with a black coating that kills glare under loupes, headlights and microscopes. The chart compares them; the buttons take you to every scissors made in that style.
| Standard | Supercut | Tungsten Carbide | Onyx | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting edge | Ground steel; one serrated blade on most tissue patterns | One micro-serrated blade + one razor-honed blade | Sintered tungsten carbide inserts brazed into steel blades | Supercut edge under a hard black coating |
| How it cuts | Reliable, familiar feel; serration stops slipping | Cleanest shear, least crushing, least hand pressure | Crisp, consistent bite that stays the same for years | Identical to Supercut |
| Edge life | Good; periodic sharpening | Good; specialist sharpening preserves the micro-serration | Best — many times the cycles of a steel edge | Good; coating also resists staining |
| Under loupes / light | Bright steel reflects | Bright steel reflects | Bright steel reflects | No glare — tip stays visible |
| Resharpening | Standard service | Serrated-scissors service only | Diamond regrind by specialist | Serrated-scissors service; coating remains off the edge |
| Best for | Utility cutting, suture, membranes, everyday trays | Aesthetic-zone tissue, grafts, flaps — anywhere the cut edge matters | High-volume practices; anyone tired of sharpening downtime | Microsurgery and perio plastic surgery under magnification |
| Identify by | Plain rings; no suffix | Black ring; SC suffix | Gold rings; TC suffix | Black blades; TISC suffix |
| Price | $ | $$ | $$$ | $$$ |
| Shop | All scissors | Supercut | TC scissors | Onyx scissors |
A practical way to choose: put TC on the instruments that do the most cutting (utility Surgical Scissors, Kelly, Dean, crown scissors), Supercut on the trimmers and dissectors that shape tissue you will see heal (Iris, Goldman Fox, Metzenbaum, Joseph), and Onyx on whatever you use under loupes or a microscope. Standard editions remain the right buy for assistants' trays and low-volume patterns. When any edge finally goes, our scissors sharpening service (with serrated and micro-surgical versions) restores it — never touch a Supercut or Onyx edge with a chairside stone.
FAQ
What are Mayo scissors used for in dentistry? As general utility scissors — tough tissue and suture. Our comparable 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 is the difference between Supercut, TC and Onyx scissors? Supercut pairs a micro-serrated blade with a razor-honed one for a cleaner, lower-pressure cut; tungsten carbide (TC) adds hard inserts that hold an edge many times longer; Onyx is a Supercut edge with a black anti-glare coating for work under loupes. See the style comparison chart above.
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: All Dental Scissors · Supercut Scissors · Tungsten Carbide Scissors · Onyx Scissors · Metzenbaum Scissors Guide · Surgical Instrument Reprocessing & Sterilization Guide
