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Ligature cutter (pin and ligature cutter)
Also called: ligature cutter, pin cutter
Small cutting pliers with sharp, tapered tips for snipping steel ties and thin wire.
A ligature cutter has two tapered beaks with sharp cutting ends. It cuts stainless steel ligatures (tiny wire ties that hold the archwire in the bracket) and very thin wires.
How to spot it
- Small pliers with narrow pointed jaws that meet in a cutting edge at the tip.
What it is used for
- Cutting steel ligatures and fine wire.
Safety and care
- Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
- Cover or hold the cut end so wire pieces do not fly into eyes or the mouth.
Related
Sources: University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, DPES. Orthodontic Instruments