Elevator Mechanics — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Wedge, lever, and wheel and axle
The correct answer is A. Dental elevators may act as a wedge, a lever or a wheel and axle. Wedge action occurs when the blade is advanced between the root and socket wall, helping to sever the periodontal ligament and expand the socket. Lever action uses a purchase point and fulcrum to transmit force to the tooth or root. Wheel-and-axle action occurs when rotation of the handle and shaft produces a rotational moment at the blade, as with triangular elevators. A screw or pulley is not a recognised elevator mechanism. Although a wedge consists mechanically of inclined planes, the accepted exodontia classification specifically names the wedge principle. The previous statement that Coupland elevators act primarily only as wedges was unnecessarily restrictive because their action depends on how they are applied.
Reference: Li Z, et al. Fracture threshold of tooth roots and stress analysis of surrounding tissue during the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars using dental elevators. BMC Oral Health. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41063149/