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Periodontal file
Also called: file scaler, Hirschfeld file, Orban file
A small pad of several tiny blades that crushes heavy tartar.
A periodontal file has several small cutting edges lined up on a round or oval base. It crushes or roughens very heavy calculus so other instruments can finish the job, and it can smooth overhanging fillings. Files are seldom used today but still appear on exams.
How to spot it
- A small flat or rounded head covered with several parallel ridges, like a tiny file.
- No point and no curved blade.
What it is used for
- Crushing heavy calculus with a pull stroke.
- Smoothing restoration overhangs.
Safety and care
- Critical item (it goes into soft tissue or touches bone): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
- Sharp working end: carry it point-down in a closed cassette, and never reach blindly into a pile of instruments.