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Oral Surgery · single question

Regarding forceps placement for a molar extraction, which statement is INCORRECT?

  1. The long axis of the beaks should parallel the long axis of the tooth
  2. The beaks should grasp the crown
  3. The beaks should be seated apically along the root surface beneath the cementoenamel junction
  4. The beaks should be adapted to the root contour
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Correct answer: B. The beaks should grasp the crown

  • A. This is correct technique. Beaks parallel to the long axis direct force along the root rather than shearing across it.
  • B. CORRECT as the INCORRECT statement — this is the error. Forceps beaks must never grip the CROWN. Enamel is brittle and unsupported by the underlying force vector, so a crown grip simply fractures the tooth and converts a routine extraction into a surgical one. The beaks belong on the ROOT.
  • C. This is correct technique. Seating the beaks apically under the CEJ, beneath the alveolar crest, places the force on root structure and moves the centre of rotation apically for more efficient expansion.
  • D. This is correct technique. Beaks contoured to the root maximise the contact area and distribute force, reducing the chance of root fracture.

Note: The movements that actually deliver the tooth are apical seating, then buccal and lingual expansion of the socket, then rotation where the root form permits (single conical roots only), and finally delivery along the path of least resistance. Extraction is controlled EXPANSION of bone, not traction.

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