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This page is general product information, not medical advice. It lists the three wooden tongue depressor sizes one manufacturer, Puritan Medical Products, publishes, in inches and millimetres, so you can match a size name to measurements. Size names are not standardized: always read the length and tip diameter on the product’s own labelling.
Tongue Depressor Size Chart (Infant, Junior, Senior/Adult)
| Size name (Puritan) | SKU | Overall length | Tip diameter | Tip shape | Sterile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (pediatric) | 700 | 4.5 in (114.3 mm) | 0.375 in (9.525 mm) | Infant | No |
| Junior | 711 | 5.5 in (139.7 mm) | 0.625 in (15.875 mm) | Junior | No |
| Senior/Adult | 25-705 | 6 in (152.4 mm) | 0.688 in (17.475 mm) | Standard | Yes |
Source: Puritan Medical Products product pages for SKU 700, SKU 711 and SKU 25-705 (puritanmedproducts.com), checked 30 October 2026. All three are wood blades. The Sterile column describes the listed SKU only. Check your product’s labelling: other brands may use different names and dimensions for the same lengths.
How to Read the Chart
The chart gives two dimensions for each size. Overall length is the blade end to end. Tip diameter is the width of the rounded working end, which Puritan lists in its specifications. The tip shape field uses the manufacturer’s own labels (Infant, Junior, Standard). Inch values are the manufacturer’s figures; millimetre values are listed alongside them on the same pages (1 in = 25.4 mm exactly).
For what a tongue depressor is, who uses one and how it differs from related items, see the guide What Is a Tongue Depressor?. This page only covers dimensions.
Matching a Size Name to a Product
Use the measurements, not the name. A product titled “Pediatric Size” in one catalogue and “Infant” in another may or may not share dimensions. Puritan’s description for SKU 700 reads “Pediatric Size Wooden Tongue Blade / Tongue Depressor” and gives the same figures as its “Infant” listing: 4.5 in long with a 9.525 mm tip. The 5.5 in blade is sold as “Junior”, and the 6 in blade is sold as “Senior/Adult Size”.
To compare a product with this chart, read the specification block on the product page or box: overall length first, then tip diameter. If a listing gives only a length, only a width, or only a size name, the chart cannot be matched with confidence.
Equivalence Notes: Inches, Millimetres and Brand Names
- Inches to millimetres. 4.5 in = 114.3 mm, 5.5 in = 139.7 mm, 6 in = 152.4 mm. A seller may round a metric figure, which is a rounding of the same length, not a different size.
- Tip diameter versus “width”. McKesson lists a Junior 5-1/2 in wooden blade as 15.9 mm wide, which is consistent with the 15.875 mm tip diameter in Puritan’s Junior listing. A distributor’s “width” field and a manufacturer’s “tip diameter” may describe the same measurement under two names; read how each source labels it.
- Size words. Infant, pediatric, junior, standard, senior and adult are labels each seller chooses. No shared standard for these words is cited here, so treat them as brand labels.
Common Mix-Ups
- Treating “junior” as a fixed size. In the Puritan listing it is the 5.5 in blade; another seller’s “junior” may differ.
- Comparing length of one product with width of another. The columns are not interchangeable.
- Assuming a longer blade is also wider at the tip. In this chart it is, but only because these three products are specified that way; confirm on each product.
- Assuming a sterile and a non-sterile pack differ in size. Sterility is a separate attribute from dimensions. Check both on the label.
- Confusing pack count with size. Boxes of 100, 500 or 1,000 describe quantity, not dimensions.
Regulatory Status in One Line
In the United States, a tongue depressor is defined in 21 CFR 880.6230 as a device “intended to displace the tongue to facilitate examination of the surrounding organs and tissues”. It is Class I (general controls) and exempt from premarket notification, subject to the limits in 21 CFR 880.9. The regulation sets no blade dimensions, so the sizes above come from manufacturers. Source: 21 CFR 880.6230 (text as republished by Cornell LII), checked 30 October 2026. For the wider picture, see What Is a Medical Device? and ENT Surgical Instruments: Types and FDA Classification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tongue depressor?
A tongue depressor, also called a tongue blade, is a flat blade used to displace the tongue so the mouth and throat can be examined. In US regulation it is a Class I device under 21 CFR 880.6230. The guide What Is a Tongue Depressor? covers types, materials and use.
What size is a standard tongue depressor?
There is no regulatory standard size. In Puritan’s range the adult blade, labelled “Senior/Adult Size”, is 6 in (152.4 mm) long with a 17.475 mm tip. Other manufacturers may call a different length “standard”.
What size is a pediatric or infant tongue depressor?
Puritan lists a 4.5 in (114.3 mm) blade with a 9.525 mm tip as both “Infant” and “Pediatric Size”. Other sellers may use the words for other dimensions, so check the product’s labelling.
How long is a junior tongue depressor?
Puritan’s Junior blade is 5.5 in (139.7 mm) with a 15.875 mm tip. McKesson lists a Junior wooden blade at 5-1/2 in, 15.9 mm wide.
Do tongue depressors come in sterile and non-sterile versions?
Yes. Among the products above, SKU 25-705 is listed as sterile, while SKU 700 and SKU 711 are listed as non-sterile. If a tongue depressor is not labelled or represented as sterile, 21 CFR 880.6230 exempts it from most quality management system requirements except records and complaint files.
Sources
- Puritan Medical Products, SKU 700, 4.5 in Infant Wood Tongue Depressor: https://www.puritanmedproducts.com/700.html (checked 30 October 2026).
- Puritan Medical Products, SKU 711, 5.5 in Junior Wood Tongue Depressor: https://www.puritanmedproducts.com/711.html (checked 30 October 2026).
- Puritan Medical Products, SKU 25-705, 6 in Sterile Senior Wood Tongue Depressor: https://www.puritanmedproducts.com/products/puritan-6-sterile-standard-wood-tongue-depressor-25-705 (checked 30 October 2026).
- McKesson Medical-Surgical, McKesson Brand 22-9999-S Junior tongue depressor listing: https://mms.mckesson.com/product/854424/McKesson-Brand-22-9999-S (checked 30 October 2026).
- 21 CFR 880.6230, Tongue depressor: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.6230 (checked 30 October 2026).
