Dentaltown January 2017 - 98

continuing
education

ways a clinician can attempt to sharpen periodontal
instruments.
To maintain the effectiveness and quality of care,
a periodontal instrument should be sharpened at the
first sign of dullness. All metals are considered sharp
at a certain angle, while any deviation from that angle
results in the dulling of that instrument. The word

sharper, in this context, is a misnomer, because all edges
are either sharp or dulling.
Instrument sharpening is often attempted by
manual sharpening techniques. In a recent sharpening
study, more than half of the participants used a manual
technique for sharpening instruments.3 In this technique
an instrument is moved against a stone at the appropriate
angle to re-create a sharp edge to the blade.
The choice of stone is typically operator preference. A fine stone, such as an Arkansas stone, is
the most widely used and often preferred by novice
clinicians. An India stone is medium in coarseness
and is best used when only a small amount of
sharpening is needed to restore a cutting edge,
making it optimal for sharpening during patient
treatment. Arkansas and India stones require oil
for use during the sharpening procedure.
One caveat: The Canadian Health Services
of Alberta has released a sharpening protocol
banning chairside sharpening. Reasons cited
include the introduction of metal shavings into
patient tissues, lack of manufacturer sterilization
protocol for stones, and the potential for clinician
injury. Currently, there is no equivalent policy
in the U.S.4
Ceramic stones are of fine to medium coarseness
and lubricated with water rather than oil during
sharpening. Some clinicians prefer to use a fine
ceramic stone after an Arkansas or India stone to
create a smoother edge. However, this two-stone
technique removes more metal from the instrument
and decreases its life.
Coarse stones remove a significant amount of
metal and should be used only on instruments that
require significant recontouring and reshaping.
Fewer strokes and less pressure are needed with
coarse stones during sharpening. A fine or ceramic
stone must be used after a coarse stone to remove
metal tags.

Manual and mechanical
sharpening techniques
To sharpen instruments with a manual technique, the clinician holds the stone in one hand
at the edges.5 The cutting edge of the instrument
is held against the stone at a 110-degree angle
to the face of the instrument. Either the stone

98

JANUARY 2017 // dentaltown.com


http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown January 2017

CE Update
On Dentaltown.com
Study Abroad: Live CE Events
Industry News
New Products
Poll
Product Profile: Glidewell Laboratories
Ad Index
Product Profile: OCO Biomedical
The Curious History of Occlusion in Dentistry
Making a Good First Impression
Townie Meeting 2017 Preview
Howard Speaks: Suck It Up Buttercup
Professional Courtesy: Package Deal
Show Your Work: Crowning a Winner
Product Profile: Aspen Dental
Dentally Incorrect
Message Boards: Best Way to Text Patients
Message Boards: Teach An Old Guy About Perio
Message Boards: Powerprox 6-Month Braces (Trouble Getting Started)
Office Visit
Does My Patient Need A Gum Graft
Earn Your Keepers
CE Requirements by State
CE: Honing Our Edge
Dentaltown January 2017 - Intro
Dentaltown January 2017 - Cover1
Dentaltown January 2017 - Cover2
Dentaltown January 2017 - 1
Dentaltown January 2017 - 2
Dentaltown January 2017 - 3
Dentaltown January 2017 - 4
Dentaltown January 2017 - 5
Dentaltown January 2017 - 6
Dentaltown January 2017 - 7
Dentaltown January 2017 - 8
Dentaltown January 2017 - 9
Dentaltown January 2017 - On Dentaltown.com
Dentaltown January 2017 - 11
Dentaltown January 2017 - Howard Speaks: Suck It Up Buttercup
Dentaltown January 2017 - 13
Dentaltown January 2017 - 14
Dentaltown January 2017 - 15
Dentaltown January 2017 - Professional Courtesy: Package Deal
Dentaltown January 2017 - 17
Dentaltown January 2017 - CE Update
Dentaltown January 2017 - 19
Dentaltown January 2017 - 20
Dentaltown January 2017 - 21
Dentaltown January 2017 - Study Abroad: Live CE Events
Dentaltown January 2017 - 23
Dentaltown January 2017 - Industry News
Dentaltown January 2017 - New Products
Dentaltown January 2017 - Poll
Dentaltown January 2017 - 27
Dentaltown January 2017 - Show Your Work: Crowning a Winner
Dentaltown January 2017 - 29
Dentaltown January 2017 - 30
Dentaltown January 2017 - 31
Dentaltown January 2017 - Message Boards: Best Way to Text Patients
Dentaltown January 2017 - 33
Dentaltown January 2017 - 34
Dentaltown January 2017 - 35
Dentaltown January 2017 - 36
Dentaltown January 2017 - 37
Dentaltown January 2017 - Message Boards: Teach An Old Guy About Perio
Dentaltown January 2017 - 39
Dentaltown January 2017 - 40
Dentaltown January 2017 - 41
Dentaltown January 2017 - 42
Dentaltown January 2017 - Message Boards: Powerprox 6-Month Braces (Trouble Getting Started)
Dentaltown January 2017 - 44
Dentaltown January 2017 - 45
Dentaltown January 2017 - 46
Dentaltown January 2017 - 47
Dentaltown January 2017 - Office Visit
Dentaltown January 2017 - 49
Dentaltown January 2017 - 50
Dentaltown January 2017 - 51
Dentaltown January 2017 - 52
Dentaltown January 2017 - 53
Dentaltown January 2017 - The Curious History of Occlusion in Dentistry
Dentaltown January 2017 - 55
Dentaltown January 2017 - 56
Dentaltown January 2017 - 57
Dentaltown January 2017 - 58
Dentaltown January 2017 - 59
Dentaltown January 2017 - 60
Dentaltown January 2017 - 61
Dentaltown January 2017 - 62
Dentaltown January 2017 - Making a Good First Impression
Dentaltown January 2017 - 64
Dentaltown January 2017 - 65
Dentaltown January 2017 - Does My Patient Need A Gum Graft
Dentaltown January 2017 - 67
Dentaltown January 2017 - 68
Dentaltown January 2017 - 69
Dentaltown January 2017 - 70
Dentaltown January 2017 - 71
Dentaltown January 2017 - Earn Your Keepers
Dentaltown January 2017 - 73
Dentaltown January 2017 - 74
Dentaltown January 2017 - 75
Dentaltown January 2017 - Townie Meeting 2017 Preview
Dentaltown January 2017 - 77
Dentaltown January 2017 - 78
Dentaltown January 2017 - 79
Dentaltown January 2017 - 80
Dentaltown January 2017 - 81
Dentaltown January 2017 - 82
Dentaltown January 2017 - 83
Dentaltown January 2017 - 84
Dentaltown January 2017 - 85
Dentaltown January 2017 - 86
Dentaltown January 2017 - 87
Dentaltown January 2017 - Product Profile: Glidewell Laboratories
Dentaltown January 2017 - Ad Index
Dentaltown January 2017 - Product Profile: OCO Biomedical
Dentaltown January 2017 - 91
Dentaltown January 2017 - Product Profile: Aspen Dental
Dentaltown January 2017 - 93
Dentaltown January 2017 - CE Requirements by State
Dentaltown January 2017 - 95
Dentaltown January 2017 - CE: Honing Our Edge
Dentaltown January 2017 - 97
Dentaltown January 2017 - 98
Dentaltown January 2017 - 99
Dentaltown January 2017 - 100
Dentaltown January 2017 - 101
Dentaltown January 2017 - 102
Dentaltown January 2017 - Dentally Incorrect
Dentaltown January 2017 - 104
Dentaltown January 2017 - Cover3
Dentaltown January 2017 - Cover4
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