The scissor you cut sutures with should not be the scissor you cut tissue or gauze with. Match the blade to the job and your cuts stay clean, your tips stay sharp, and suture removal stops snagging. Here's how to choose.
Scissors are among the most-handled instruments in oral surgery — yet most trays carry the wrong one for half the tasks. This guide covers the everyday cutting scissors: the Cooper operating scissor, the classic and Spencer suture scissors, and when each earns its place. (For tissue-dissecting and gum scissors, see our surgical scissors guide.)
Cooper operating scissors
The Cooper is a robust, general-purpose operating scissor with one sharp and one blunt tip (sharp/blunt). The blunt tip lets you slide along tissue or under a suture without piercing, while the sharp blade does the cutting. It is the workhorse for cutting gauze, packing, drapes and heavier sutures — keep it off fine tissue so the edge lasts.
Suture scissors — classic and Spencer
Suture scissors are made for one job: cutting suture thread cleanly and removing stitches. Two patterns dominate:
- Classic suture scissor (straight or curved) — a fine, tapered blade for cutting thread close to the knot. Curved blades give better visibility at the tissue surface.
- Spencer (stitch) scissor — a small scissor with a hook notch near the tip that slides under a suture and lifts it for a clean cut during removal, without dragging the knot through tissue.
- Angled suture scissor — the angled blade reaches posterior sites where a straight scissor can't sit flat.
Straight vs curved vs angled — quick rule
- Straight: direct, in-line cutting in the anterior and for bench tasks.
- Curved: better visibility of the blade tips at the tissue surface; the default for most suture cutting.
- Angled: posterior access where the handle would otherwise block your line of sight.
Caring for scissor edges
Keep cutting scissors and suture scissors separate from gauze/packing scissors — cutting abrasive materials rounds the edge fast. ErgoDenta scissors are available with tungsten-carbide (TC) inserts (gold rings) that hold an edge far longer than plain stainless. Clean in the hinge, lubricate, and autoclave per your protocol.