University of Minnesota Retractor

Description

University of Minnesota Retractor

Few oral surgery trays go without one. The University of Minnesota retractor keeps the cheek, lip and tongue away from the field. It also holds a raised flap clear of the bone, so the surgeon can see and irrigate the site. As a result, assistants reach for it in almost every extraction.

Why the Shape Works in Tight Mouths

The working end is angled and broad enough to hold soft tissue across a wide area. Meanwhile, it stays thin enough to fit behind the last molar. Because of that profile, a single instrument can protect the cheek on one side and the flap on the other. It therefore serves well during third molar removal and posterior implant placement.

Choosing 140 mm or 150 mm

We stock two lengths. The 140 mm option is slightly shorter, so it suits smaller hands and anterior or premolar work. The 150 mm option, by contrast, gives a little more reach and leverage toward the back of the mouth. Many practices keep both, one for each side of the chair. If you are replacing an existing retractor, measure it first and match the length.

Holding Without Harm

Rest the instrument on bone, not on a thin flap edge alone, whenever possible. Next, retract with steady, gentle force rather than repeated tugging. In addition, rotate your grip during long cases to reduce hand strain.

• Lengths: 140 mm, 150 mm
• Uses: cheek, tongue and flap retraction
• Reusable stainless steel

Readying It for Surgery

Your retractor ships non-sterile, so put it through cleaning and sterilization before the first procedure. Our crew in the United States looks over each Minnesota pattern before it is packed. Moreover, a warped blade or flawed finish traced to production is backed three years against manufacturing defects on both lengths.

Learn about the steel under ASTM F899. See all maxillofacial surgery instruments, and raise flaps first with Molt periosteal elevators before retraction. Then check our FAQs for order help.

Offered solely for trained oral surgery and dental teams; see the sterilization guidance and our shipping and delivery terms.