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Periodontal hoe
Also called: hoe scaler
A single straight blade turned at about 100 degrees, pulled to remove heavy tartar rings.
A hoe looks like a tiny garden hoe. Its one straight cutting edge sits at about 100 degrees to the shank. It removes ledges or rings of heavy calculus with a pull stroke, and it needs both the blade and the shank touching the tooth to work.
How to spot it
- One straight, flat cutting edge turned almost at a right angle to the shank.
What it is used for
- Removing heavy supragingival calculus with a pull stroke.
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.