PERIODONTAL CHISEL SHARPENING

Both have a rounded tip that must be maintained during sharpening (except the McCall #13/14). When using a stationary stone, hold the curette in a modified pen grasp and establish a finger rest at the edge of the stone. Draw the side of the blade toward you. Because the curette is curved, you must repeat this process until the entire arc of the cutting edge is sharpened. Be sure to lubricate the stone during the sharpening procedure. When sharpening a curette on a mounted stone, be sure the wheel rotates away from the side of the blade. PERIODONTAL CHISEL SHARPENING The No. 1 and No. 2 Ochsenbein chisels are the most commonly used periodontal chisels. They have three cutting edges, a flat edge on the tip and a curved edge on each side of the tip. The edges to be sharpened are up, toward you, on the convex side of the chisel head. The cutting edges on the No. 1 Ochsenbein are reversed. They are on the concave side of the head. Another commonly used chisel, the TGO chisel, is a smaller version of the Ochsenbein chisel. Follow these steps when sharpening a periodontal chisel: the tip of the chisel. Position the blade on the stone at an angle conforming to the bevel of the blade. Push the blade across the stone in the direction of the cutting edge. Use a flat Arkansas stone to sharpen the edge on Use a cylindrical sharpening stone or one with rounded edges to sharpen the curved edges on the sides of the chisel head. Position the stone on the blade at an angle consistent with the bevel of the blade. Twist or rotate the stone until the edge is sharp. DO NOT rotate the sharpening stone over the cutting edge, it will round and dull the edge. SCALER SHARPENING Sickle scalers and hoes are the most commonly used scaling instruments. Sickle scalers have two cutting edges that form a point where the facial and lateral surfaces meet (figure 6-18). Sharpen the sickle scaler by grinding the facial and lateral surfaces on a stationary stone being careful to maintain the sharp point. To sharpen the facial surface, hold the edge flat against the side of the stone and draw the instrument back and forth. To sharpen the lateral surface, position the surface against the stone and draw the instrument across the stone in the direction of the cutting edge. Repeat this procedure until both lateral surfaces are sharp. A hoe scaler has only one edge. Sharpen the hoe by grinding only the outer surface of the cutting edge. The outer surface and inner blade surfaces form a 45° angle, so you must maintain this angle against the stone. Draw the instrument across the stone in the direction of the cutting edge. Repeat this procedure until the edge is sharp. Figure 6-18.—Sickle sealer: A. Tip of sickle sealer; B. Cross section. 6-14