Australian Dental Council (ADC) Test 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Elevators are hand instruments commonly used in dentistry during extraction procedures to loosen teeth or root segments from their socket. When it comes to their application, they are particularly effective in tasks related to extracting teeth, such as upper molars, or gaining access to impacted teeth, where they help in the removal of bone or soft tissue around the tooth.

In the context of dividing the roots of a third lower molar, elevators are typically not used. Instead, the use of surgical instruments like rotary instruments (drills) is more appropriate in order to split the roots of the tooth. This is due to the anatomical challenges and the need for precision in that area, where elevators might not provide the necessary control or effectiveness.

On the other hand, when conducting root canal treatment, elevators are also not the primary tools since the procedure focuses more on accessing the root canals and cleaning them, often requiring the use of files rather than elevators. Thus, in situations where the focus is on root division or root canal access, elevators play a lesser role, making them atypical for those specific applications.