What are sickle scalers?

Sickle scalers carry a pointed tip and two cutting edges converging to a sharp back, used to remove supragingival calculus and deposits just below the margin. The point is what makes them effective interproximally and what limits them: a sickle is not designed to be taken deep subgingivally, where the pointed tip and sharp back will lacerate the pocket wall.

How the sickle scalers range is organised

Anterior:

H6/7 in hollow and firm-grip handles, Jacquette #1 single end, #1Y/1Y and #1Y/1YS firm-grip.

Posterior:

#204S in hollow and firm-grip handles, Jacquette #2/3, #2S/3S, #2Y/3Y and #2YS/3YS.

Towner-Jacquette:

#U15/30 and #U15/33 in hollow handles and standard patterns.

Combination:

Hygienist-Jacquette #H5/33.

Choosing the right sickle scaler

H6/7 for anteriors and #204S for posteriors is the standard pairing and covers most supragingival scaling. Jacquette patterns are finer and reach interproximally where a heavier sickle cannot. Keep sickles supragingival — for anything subgingival, change to a curette with a rounded toe and back.