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Appendix A

SUGGESTED SURGICAL KIT

A suitable surgical kit contains the following (some of these may be kept separately packed, to open only if required):

drapes to cover the patient’s clothing
mouth mirror and dental probe
college forceps
Swann Morton no. 15 surgical blade on a no. 3 handle
periosteal elevators: Howarth’s, Freer’s or Fickling’s
Mitchell’s trimmer
flap retractors such as the Lack’s tongue depressor or Morris rake retractor
mosquito artery forceps, straight and curved
straight handpiece and motor (handpiece and tubing (or sleeve) must be amenable to autoclaving)
long-shanked surgical burs (usually tungsten carbide tipped), round and flat fissure (steel burs are available in a range of sizes, but blunt easily)
a means of irrigation with saline (either through the handpiece or via a syringe)
a means of aspiration: the tip must be finer than conventional dental aspirators; Jankauer’s or American-pattern tips are suitable
dental elevators: Coupland’s nos 1, 2, 3, a pair of Cryer’s and Warwick-James right, left and straight
tooth extraction forceps
cheek retractor (such as the Kilner)
toothed tissue-dissecting forceps
suture material—3/0 polygalactin or silk on a medium-sized (approx. 22 mm, half round or three-eighths round), side-cutting needle
suture scissors, such as McKindoe’s
needle holders: small Mayo’s, Kilner’s or Ward’s
swabs.

SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTS FOR APICECTOMY

non-toothed forceps
ribbon gauze 0.6 cm wide
contra-angled, micro-head handpiece
flat plastic instrument
ball-ended burnisher
straight excavator
Briault probe
(A Fine, custom amalgam carrier is recommended if dental amalgam is chosen to obtain an apical seal.)