What are periosteal elevators?

Periosteal elevators lift a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap away from bone in one clean plane. The instrument works by staying in contact with bone throughout — lose that contact and the periosteum tears rather than lifts, which is what makes a flap difficult to close. Most patterns are double-ended, pairing a pointed end that starts the reflection at a papilla with a broader end that carries it along the ridge.

How the periosteal elevators range is organised

General flap reflection:

Molt #9 and Molt #9 mini, Periosteal #1, #2 and #W2, Ohl, Seldin #23.

Periodontal:

Prichard PR-3, Potts 6X and 7X.

Interdental and papilla:

Orban #1/2 double-ended knife in long and short shanks.

Microsurgical:

Tunneling micro periosteal #1 and #3 for minimally invasive and tunnel approaches.

Choosing the right periosteal elevator

The Molt #9 is the default for most oral surgery: the pointed end starts the flap at the sulcus and the round end reflects it. Prichard and Potts have broader, more rounded blades suited to periodontal flaps where the papilla must survive intact. The mini Molt and the tunneling micro elevators exist for access, not for a different technique — reach for them when a standard blade cannot get into the site without stripping adjacent tissue.