Essential tools to have in a dental extraction kit, according to a dental specialist

In this interview with dvm360, Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC a senior pet advocate and veterinary dental specialist at Cibolo Creek Veterinary Hospital in Boerne, Texas, discusses the equipment needed for dental extraction kits. She emphasizes the importance of a high-quality Molt periosteal elevator, recommending Molt No. 2 and Molt No. 4, and stresses the need for a range of elevators. These include flatter instruments, often called luxators, used to access the periodontal ligament space, as well as cupped or winged elevators designed to fit specific root diameters. Lobprise also shares her recent preference for periotomes, which she says is effective at cutting into bone and fatiguing the periodontal ligament

Related: Preventing periodontal disease in dogs

The following is a transcript of the video, lightly edited for clarity and cohesion:

Lobprise: So, for that extraction kit, you absolutely have to have a good Molt periosteal elevator. Some people like other periosteal elevators. I like the Molt No. 2 and Molt No. 4—you have to have a good set of elevators. I also like both the flatter elevators, sometimes called luxators, which help get between the tooth and bone in the periodontal ligament space, as well as some of the cupped or winged elevators. You have to have a set of these, because the winged elevators especially, are meant to fit a certain diameter of root, so you've got to use the right size for the right root. Recently, I’ve become rather fond of something called a periotome...it works as a flat luxator but really helps cut into the flatter surfaces, and almost any surface, to help start fatiguing the periodontal ligament so you can get that root out of the socket.

And of course, X-rays. You have to have X-rays.

Related: How to decide when dental extraction improves senior pet health