Kay Austin Cheek Retractor, Right Angled Blade

What a Kay Austin cheek retractor is

An upper wisdom tooth sits where the cheek, the flap and the bone all crowd together. A straight blade cannot hold the cheek out and the flap up at once there, because the two face different ways. The Kay Austin does it by bending a flat plate at a right angle, so one arm lies along the cheek and the other holds the flap.

Google AI Mode, read on 3 November 2026, describes the Kay Austin as a specialized right angled hand held instrument for oral, maxillofacial and dental surgery, made for confined spaces and above all for upper impacted wisdom teeth. It notes that the shape lets one hand hold the retractor while the same hand steadies a second instrument. It gives a blade depth of about 80 mm, which is the figure labeled on our own photograph.

Buyers find it under several names. The austin retractor is the short form, with an austin retractor dental version for clinic lists, and Gemini gives the Kay Austin retractor as the catalog name. Our page also shows up for the austin cheek retractor, which is the same instrument.

Key design features

A right angle in one plate

In our photograph the retractor is one flat plate bent at a right angle. There is no weld and no joint at the bend, so the angle stays where it was set. One arm presses the cheek out, and the other holds the flap up and away from the bone.

An 80 mm blade arm

Our photograph labels the long arm 80 mm. That is enough to reach from the corner of the mouth to the back of the upper jaw, with the other arm left outside for the hand. Both arms narrow toward their ends, so the tip that goes in is the slimmest part of the plate.

No handle to get in the way

There is no separate handle. The outer arm is the grip, which keeps the retractor short and light and leaves the space in front of the mouth for the drill and the suction. The AI Mode answer makes the same point: one hand can hold it and steady another instrument too.

Cheek and flap together

Gemini, read on 3 November 2026, says the Kay Austin is shaped to hold the cheek and the flap at once for upper third molar access. That is the job a flat cheek retractor cannot do alone, and it is why this one is ordered for wisdom tooth trays rather than for general dental work.

Which one to order

The listing carries one size, read on 3 November 2026. Order one per surgical tray, and a second if two procedures run on the same day.

Where it is used

Gemini, read on 3 November 2026, places the Kay Austin in oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery and implant surgery, on the cheek, the corner of the lip and raised flaps at the back of either jaw.

What it holds back, and what it must not do

It holds soft tissue at the back of the mouth. It does not open the mouth or move a tooth.

How it compares with the rest of the family

Ten hand held cheek and lip retractors make up this family on our site. The ends are read off each listing’s own photograph, the lengths off the name or the variations, and the prices off the order form, on 3 November 2026.

Materials and finish

Every Kay Austin cheek retractor we make is formed from high quality medical grade stainless steel. The steel itself is made to a German specification. We do not publish a grade number.

It is plain flat stock with no coating and nothing fitted to it. We do not state an overall length on this listing, because we have not measured one we can stand behind; the 80 mm arm is the figure on our photograph.

Caring for it

Rinse it as soon as the case ends, while the bend is still easy to clean. Brush both faces of each arm and the inside of the bend, where blood and bone dust collect. Dry it, steam sterilize it on the normal instrument cycle, and look at the angle before it goes back on the tray. A plate that has been opened past its right angle will not hold the flap, so set it aside rather than bend it back by hand.

Ordering and wholesale

The Kay Austin cheek retractor is made by Adas Instruments in our own workshop and sold direct, which is why the price sits where it does against the catalog houses. Order one for a single tray, or in quantity for a hospital list or a distributor line. We do OEM work under your own brand and your own item numbers. Send us a sample and we will hold a run to your pattern rather than ours. Stock items ship from our own workshop. Backorder items take 10 to 12 working days to make. Every instrument carries a three year replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. Production is controlled under an ISO 13485 quality management system.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Kay Austin cheek retractor used for?

It holds the cheek and the raised flap at the back of the mouth at the same time, above all for an impacted upper wisdom tooth. It is also used for implants and bone work at the back of either jaw, and for biopsies at the back of the cheek, where a straight retractor cannot hold both tissues at once.

Is the Kay Austin the same as an Austin retractor?

The austin retractor is the short name buyers use, and the Kay Austin is the catalog name for the right angled pattern. Both point to a flat retractor bent at a right angle for the back of the mouth. Ours is one plate with an 80 mm blade arm and no separate handle, at 16 dollars.

How long is the Kay Austin cheek retractor?

Our photograph labels the blade arm 80 mm, which is the arm that goes into the mouth. We do not state an overall length on this listing because we have not measured one we can stand behind. If you need the outer arm measured before you order, write to us and we will send the figure.

How is it different from a Minnesota retractor?

Gemini, read on 3 November 2026, puts the difference in the job. The Kay Austin is shaped to hold the cheek and the flap together for upper third molars, while the Minnesota is a flat offset bar with a different end on each side. Ours in that pattern is the Cawood-Minnesota, listed in the family table.

Can the Kay Austin cheek retractor be autoclaved?

Yes. It is one piece of stainless steel with no joint, screw or coating, and it goes through the normal steam cycle with the rest of the tray. Rinse it and brush the inside of the bend first, so bone dust does not dry there, and dry it before it is packed.

Related products and categories

Three more retractors from the same family: the 22 cm cheek retractor, the Bowdler-Henry cheek retractor and the Buchs cheek retractor. The rest of the range is under maxillofacial instruments, which sits inside our ENT instruments.