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Sharpening stone
Also called: Arkansas stone, India stone, ceramic stone, honing stone
A fine stone used to restore a sharp edge on scalers and curettes.
Dull instruments slide over calculus instead of removing it and tire the hands. Sharpening stones grind a fresh edge. Arkansas stones are natural and fine (used with oil), India stones are synthetic and medium, and ceramic stones are synthetic and used dry or with water. A common method keeps the instrument still and moves the stone.
How to spot it
- A flat rectangular or cylindrical stone, often in a box or with a handle.
What it is used for
- Sharpening sickles and universals on both edges, Graceys on the lower edge only.
- Finish with a downstroke so no wire edge (a thin metal burr) is left.
Safety and care
- Sharpen clean, sterilized instruments, or sterilize the stone before using it on contaminated ones.
- Follow your office's protocol for who sharpens and when.
Related
Sources: Gehrig JS, Shin DE. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation and Advanced Root Instrumentation, 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett, 2023 (plus Newman & Carranza's Clinical Periodontology), Hu-Friedy. It's About Time instrument sharpening manual, CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17)