In the first article of the series on building the best kit for dental hygiene, we covered the considerations regarding anterior scalers. In this post, we’ll pick up where we left off and start discussing posterior scalers.

Now that you’ve settled on the best anterior scalers for your kit, it’s time to start thinking about the posterior scalers. While the selection of possibilities isn’t quite as broad as with anterior, the importance of equipping yourself with the patterns that fit your personal preference is paramount.

The most popular posterior scaler in the United States is the 204S. It features short shanks that end in a sickle blade set at 40⁰ to the instrument handle. The 204S is a smaller, updated version of the original 204 posterior scaler. The original 204 has longer shanks and blades and the blades are a little more open, set at 30⁰ to the instrument handle. If you were using the 204S in your current kit and you told us that you wanted a scaler that gave you a little more reach in the posterior, we would suggest the original 204.

Alternatively, if you are currently using the 204 in your kit and we see that when you adapt it your middle finger is positioned on the instrument shank, we would say that the shanks on the 204 are too long for you and you would be happier with the 204S.

Improved interproximal access?

• Check out the 204IUFW (Indiana University Fort Wayne) has the same shanks and bends as the 204 but a thinner blade.

A blade that is less curved?

• The Remington K has similar shanks to the 204, but a flatter blade that is also set at 30⁰ to the instrument handle.

A more open blade angle?

• Try the 157-158 and the UT107-108 which both have very similar shanks and blades to the 204, but the blades of both are set at 40⁰ to the instrument handle.

A more closed blade angle?

• Try the Doeppler M-23 (N130) which has similar shank lengths with blades that are set at 25⁰ to the handle. However, the blade of the N130 is shorter and more curved than the 204, rather similar to a 204S blade on the end of a 204 shank.

The 204SD features the same short shanks and thin blade of the 204S, but the blades are much more open at 25⁰ to the instrument handle. If you are using the 204S currently but tell us that you would like better access to posterior distal surfaces, this is the scaler for you.

For those that like the short, straight blades of Jacquettes, there are essentially two posterior options. The original posterior Jacquette 2-3, also known as the 31-32, is the larger version. It features long shanks and blades that are 5 mm long. The smaller updated J2S-3S, or 34-35, has shorter shanks like the 204S and blades that are 4 mm long.