The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cutting edges of curettes sharpened by several sharpening techniques. For the experiment, twenty-one new, double-ended 5 6 Gracey curettes were selected.
Curettes were divided into 7 groups to evaluate t...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cutting edges of curettes sharpened by several sharpening techniques. For the experiment, twenty-one new, double-ended 5 6 Gracey curettes were selected.
Curettes were divided into 7 groups to evaluate the cutting edges of curettes as they came from the manufacture, after they had been made dull and after they were sharpened by several sharpeniog techniques. Micrographs were taken of the cutting edges with SEMat a magnification of 200.
The results of this study were as follows:
In the factory edges which were examined as they came from the manufacturer, functional wire edges were consistently seen pushed over into the of the blade.
Dull edges had a large facet or third surface created between the face and the lateral surface of the blade.
The edges of curettes sharpened on the face of blade showed nonfunctional wire edges, but the edges of curettes sharpened on the lateral surface showed functional wire edges.
In the curettes sharpened with a rotating, composition stone on the face followed by the RX Honing Machine on the lateral surface of the blade, an excellent edge consisting of a fine, smooth line angles free of wire edges was consistently seen.