Why Do You Need to Sharpen?

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Dental Instruments

Sharp Dental Tools

After I graduated from Dental Hygiene school I went to Cincinnati, Ohio to take the North East Regional Board Exam (NERB).  As I sat sharpening my instruments in my father’s dental office, he walked by and asked, “Why do you need to sharpen?” I told him that when a blade is sharp, it does less tissue damage. It surprised me that I needed to explain this to him, but over the years I have met a surprising number of dentists that don’t understand the cruciality of maintaining sharp instruments. 38 years later I have an even better explanation as to why hygienists depend on sharp instruments.

  1. Sharp instruments do less tissue damage because they need to be inserted less for either sub or supragingival scaling. Deposits are removed more easily when the blade is sharp, resulting in less discomfort for the patient.
  2. By definition, tenacious deposits are hard to remove. When using dull instruments, that calculus can become burnished, making removal even more difficult. We can actually turn a deposit into one that has “superhuman” powers to hang onto the tooth!
  3. Dentistry, as a profession, should come with a warning label.  We all try to maintain optimum ergonomics for comfort, but over time, the repetitive use of our backs, necks, shoulders, arms, hands, and wrists creates problems.  Less pressure exerted on an instrument means less trauma to our bodies. Using sharp instruments is self-defense! 
  4. Keeping instruments sharp actually helps preserve them.  This is counter intuitive when a small amount of blade is removed during sharpening. When less force is applied there is less potential for breakage.

All equipment needs to be maintained to remain in good working order and instruments are no different.  When they are sharp, we can clean faster and produce more. Even though this is theoretically understood by most clinicians, they may not have the time, skills or confidence in their ability to sharpen.  Please contact me if you would like to have your instruments professionally sharpened. www.SharpestCuttingEdge.com