Sharpens in a fraction of the time—Even practices without sterilization techs or hygiene assistants benefit greatly. The diamond-coated sharpening cone requires no lubrication and will not wear quickly (like most stones available). This makes it one of the most efficient and time-saving systems for instrument care available. It can be used reliably to restore cutting edges with just a few very light strokes, meaning that more instruments can be sharpened in one hour than any manual sharpening device, or any electric device using stone surfaces. Thus, hygienists who sharpen themselves can do so in a fraction of the time. And, practices of virtually any size should be able to sharpen their entire inventory on a weekly basis with minimal time, for instruments and patient care that truly provide the highest quality experience.

Never lose chair time—The InstRenew never needs to be used chairside, since it creates a sharp and reliable cutting edge so quickly and efficiently. It can be done weekly during cancellations or around clinical hours, so hygienists never need to feel that their only opportunity to sharpen is during a hygiene appointment. There are already so many items to complete during this time that sharpening chairside can detract from proper patient care. Also, many patients are averse to the sounds created by scalers being sharpened, so patient experience is likely to improve for those practices that make a switch.

Now, let’s review instructions for correct use. There are three simple steps any team member can follow with ease. (We recommend you view our easy instructional video to visualize these steps in just 2 minutes, but these printed instructions can also be referenced during use of the InstRenew®).

Step 1: Lock the Blade Position

Slide the working end of your instrument, face up, into the groove in the blade positioner (toward the back of the machine), allowing 1/3 of the working end to extend beyond the bar above. Then, simply rotate the locking knob below counterclockwise to lock the blade into place. Your instrument is now locked in the correct position for proper contact with the sharpening cone, with the instrument blade face parallel to the floor. (This works with both universal and area-specific curettes).

Step 2: Clamp to Secure

Maneuver the clamp arm so the clamps extend about halfway beyond any straight portion of the instrument shank. Tighten them around the shank very securely, and then tighten even a bit more. This ensures that the instrument is moved to the sharpening cone in the correct position, with the blade face parallel to the floor. (There are adjustment wheels for help in this step: the anterior wheel rotates the clamp to match the shank tilt; the lower wheel raises or lowers the clamps to avoid clamping shank bends; and the posterior wheel tightens the clamp grasp). You can now unlock the blade positioner (by rotating the lower knob clockwise), and the instrument can be maneuvered with the clamp arm to the sharpening cone with ease.

Step 3: Sharpen

Identify the cutting edge(s), lightly glide the lateral edges along the sharpening cone, and around the toes of curettes as well. Pro-tip: universal instruments have active cutting edges on both sides; area-specifics will have only one cutting edge to sharpen, which will always be opposite the direction the instrument handle is leaning in the clamp grasp.

Once you invest in this fool-proof system, take some time to review the video and practice with your team. Most team members can master this skill in just a few minutes. We suggest pairing up dental or hygiene assistants with hygienists during this training, since the hardest part is recognizing cutting edges on area-specific instruments, not actual use of the machine. In very large practices, team members may elect to identify specific weekdays for each hygienists’ instruments to be sharpened. Enjoy your new sharpening flow, eliminate the struggles of ineffective scaling and employee hand strain, and watch as your patient confidence rises!