Dental Gracey Curette-17/18

The Dental Gracey Curette-17/18 (Article# LS1-426) is a double-ended, area-specific instrument with two offset blades, each carrying a single lower cutting edge set at 70 degrees to the terminal shank face. The deep shank angle, along with multiple bends, provides crown clearance and prevents handle interference with the opposing arch and teeth, while the reduced blade length improves access to furcations and root concavities. The perforated blue silicone grip handle measures 165 mm (6.5 inches) overall, with the blade measuring 0.9 mm wide and 3 mm long — one millimeter shorter than the standard Gracey blade.

The shortened blade length on the Periodontal curettes 17/18 variant allows better root surface adaptation in deep, narrow distal pockets where a full-length blade loses contact with the tooth anatomy mid-stroke. The 17/18 is designed to reach the distal surfaces of posterior teeth, with the shank accentuated to allow access in difficult-to-reach areas, especially the mandibular second and third molars. The stainless-steel body tolerates repeated autoclave sterilization at 134°C without blade offset distortion or cutting-edge degradation.

Dental hygienists and periodontists use the Dental Gracey Curette-17/18 during subgingival scaling, root planing, and periodontal maintenance on distal surfaces of all posterior molars. The 15/16 and 17/18 Gracey Curettes complement each other — the 15/16 handles mesial molar surfaces while the 17/18 covers the distal, with clinicians activating short vertical and oblique pull strokes from the distofacial line angle while maintaining terminal shank parallelism throughout each stroke sequence.

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How is the 17/18 different from the standard Gracey 13/14?
While both treat distal surfaces, the 17/18 has a more accentuated shank to provide better clearance for the handle in the posterior of the mouth. It also features a 3mm longer terminal shank and a 1mm shorter blade to improve access to deep pockets and tight root concavities where the 13/14 might be too bulky.