Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Who uses them: dentists and oral surgeons use dental extraction forceps; clinic staff, sterile-processing teams and buyers meet them as catalogue items and as instruments to reprocess. This page explains what the product class is, how its labels are read, and how US regulators classify it.
What are dental extraction forceps?
Dental extraction forceps are hand-held surgical instruments made to grip a tooth. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists “surgical tooth extractor forceps” among the devices covered by 21 CFR 872.4565, “Dental hand instrument”, which it defines as “a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and oral surgery procedures” (checked 2026-10-30). The same regulation also names surgical rongeur forceps, surgical hemostats, dental elevators and curettes.
They are a different product class from the general-purpose tools covered in medical and laboratory forceps, and they sit within the wider family described in dental surgical instruments.
How are dental extraction forceps classified by the FDA?
They are Class I (general controls). In the FDA classification database, product code EMG is “Forceps, Tooth Extractor, Surgical”, under regulation number 872.4565, reviewed by the Dental panel; the record is not flagged as an implant or as life-sustaining (openFDA device classification, checked 2026-10-30). The regulation adds that a device made of the same materials used before May 28, 1976 is exempt from premarket notification (510(k)), subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 872.9.
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Product code | EMG, Forceps, Tooth Extractor, Surgical | openFDA device classification |
| Device class | Class I (general controls) | 21 CFR 872.4565(b) |
| Regulation number | 872.4565, Dental hand instrument | 21 CFR 872.4565 |
| Related code, same regulation | EMH, Forceps, Rongeur, Surgical | openFDA device classification |
The FDA’s Global Unique Device Identification Database (AccessGUDID, queried through openFDA on 2026-10-30) holds 3,767 device records under code EMG, which shows how many differently labelled products share this one classification.
How are extraction forceps named and numbered?
There is no single numbering scheme. Manufacturers label products with a pattern name (English, American or European), a number or “Fig.” number, and often a tooth group and jaw. The examples below are copied from manufacturer-submitted AccessGUDID descriptions (checked 2026-10-30); they show labelling conventions, not an official tooth-by-tooth chart.
| Labelling convention | Example from a GUDID record (manufacturer) | What the label tells you |
|---|---|---|
| English pattern | “Reusable English Pattern Extraction Forceps, Fig. 433 SL, Very Fine Lower Roots (Cross), non-sterile” (Melpex Beauty Instruments) | Pattern name, figure number, intended tooth group and jaw, supplied non-sterile |
| American pattern | “AMERICAN-EXTRACT Extracting forceps # 274”, bicuspids, incisors and roots (Reicodent, devemed GmbH) | Pattern name, number, tooth group |
| European style | “#73 European Style Forceps, Serrated” (Hu-Friedy) | Pattern name, number, serrated surface |
| Universal | “EXTRACTING, UPPER UNIVERSAL, CRYER, NO. 150” (KLS-Martin); “150 FRINGS, Lower Universal” (TBS Dental) | “Universal” in the name; jaw stated separately |
| Child size | “FORCEPS CHILD SIZE C150” (Premier Dental); “Reusable Pediatric Extraction Forceps, # 2, Lower Molars, non-sterile” (Melpex) | Paediatric sizing is stated in the name |
| Root forceps | “Radix Bayonet Residual Root Forceps” (Quinelato) | Pattern described by its target and shape |
The universal row shows why a number alone is not enough. Records for number 150 describe it as “upper universal” in one catalogue and “lower universal” in another, so check the manufacturer’s own description and instructions for use rather than relying on the number.
Common mistakes
- Treating a number as a standard. The same number appears with different jaw or pattern labels across manufacturers, as above.
- Assuming the product arrives sterile. Several records describe reusable instruments supplied “non-sterile”; reprocessing is the user’s responsibility under the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Skipping the instructions for use. The CDC guidance says to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct use of sterilization devices.
How should extraction forceps be reprocessed?
Reprocessing follows the CDC’s “Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings” (MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), checked 2026-10-30). The guideline places instruments that penetrate soft tissue or bone among the items with the greatest risk of transmitting infection and calls for heat sterilization of them. It also recommends using only FDA-cleared medical devices for sterilization and following the manufacturer’s instructions for their correct use, and it describes a single-use device as one designed for one patient and then discarded rather than reprocessed. Heat sterilization is explained in what is an autoclave and sterilization technology. This page does not describe clinical technique.
Related products
General-purpose instruments are listed in the forceps category of the LAC medical supply store.
Frequently asked questions
What FDA class are dental extraction forceps?
Class I (general controls), under product code EMG and 21 CFR 872.4565.
Is there one official numbering system for extraction forceps?
No. Manufacturers use their own pattern names (English, American, European), numbers or “Fig.” numbers, and tooth-group wording, and the same number can carry different jaw labels in different catalogues.
Are extraction forceps supplied sterile?
Not necessarily. Several GUDID records describe reusable instruments supplied “non-sterile”; the manufacturer’s instructions for use govern reprocessing.
Sources
- 21 CFR 872.4565, Dental hand instrument: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/872.4565 (checked 2026-10-30).
- openFDA device classification, product code EMG: https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=product_code:EMG (checked 2026-10-30).
- AccessGUDID via openFDA UDI, product code EMG: https://api.fda.gov/device/udi.json?search=product_codes.code:EMG (checked 2026-10-30).
- CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003, MMWR 52(RR-17): https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5217.pdf (checked 2026-10-30).
