There I was perched in front of a heap of 300 donated less than adequate, dull instruments. I was the hygiene lead for Illinois' first Mission of Mercy and wanted my team of one hundred dental hygienists to be over prepared for the 350 patients that were going to march through the doors the next morning. I'm a unique, perhaps bizarre RDH who loves sharpening. I have taught thousands of students over the last 16 years, and always love a dare. I began attacking these dull blades with my hardest grit stone, then finishing with my finest grit to achieve the dagger sharp edge we all love to feel grabbing that tooth surface. As thousands of volunteers traipsed by my screeching stone, they typically said two things: One, I'd love to help but I can't stand sharpening and two, I have no idea how to do it. They all quickly scurried away exclaiming, "I can't stand that sound!" Sharpening is a great time for me to reflect as I move that stone over the cutting edge over and over. Most hygienists dislike sharpening because they have never understood the angle relationship between the instrument edge and the stone. Consequently, they neglect to sharpen unless they have a cancellation. For all of you who loathe sharpening and fall into the "can't stand sharpening" category, there is a dreamy solution for you. First, start with an instrument that stays sharp longer. Hu-Friedy has developed its EverEdge® scalers and curettes with a unique metal technology that stays sharper longer than any other instrument on the market. EverEdge holds an edge better, requires less sharpening, and consequently you do not need to replace it as often. Good instruments are like good knives in your kitchen--the value is there. Second, sharpen frequently; never allow your instruments to get dull. Hu-Friedy has the solution with its Sidekick sharpener. This hand-held, battery-operated device guides you and the scaler to perfection. You can quickly achieve a sharp edge before the patient sits in your chair. There are two simple guides; one for sickle scalers & universal curettes, and the other for Gracey curettes. The lubricant-free ceramic stone repeatedly glides over the edge at the proper angle taking all the confusion out of sharpening.

At the Mission of Mercy, I had two volunteers offer to help me tackle the pile of dull instruments. One was a 74 year old retired nurse, and the other a 17 year old high school student. After a quick lesson with the Sidekick, the two rookies were helping me diminish this pile of dull instruments quickly. Two curious hygienists strolled by to see  what this sharpener was all about. They both told horror stories about how they hated sharpening and had a drawer of sharpening guides and gadgets at their office. After seeing how two inexperienced volunteers could pick up sharpening so quickly, they soon gave it a try and couldn't stop talking about how easy it was. We all agreed that you could easily take a few minutes before or after each patient and use the Sidekick quickly to never have dull instruments. We proudly finished sharpening those 300 dull instruments, and shared lots of stories as we passed the time. At the end of the Mission weekend those 300 instruments had scaled over 350 patients. Every hygienist thanked me for the experience of a lifetime and for those sharp instruments. Treat yourself as well as your patients and use sharp instruments, you both deserve it!

Photos from Mission of Mercy

   

About the Author
Tami Wanless, RDH, M.Ed.
Twenty years of dental hygiene experience in public health, private practice and educational arenas, with 3 years as an owner of an instrument sharpening company have allowed Tami Wanless, RDH, M.Ed to engage her passions and
pleasures simultaneously. Tami has a Masters Degree from Northern Illinois University in adult education, and has taught for 16 years at Illinois top dental hygiene schools.

You can catch her positive attitude and enthusiasm speaking around the world on a multitude of hygiene related topics; predominately instrument sharpening and public health issues. She attributes her strong work ethic, motivational
attitude and ability to manage multiple projects and issues concurrently, while maintaining a great sense of humor from her experience as a mother of two.

When not educating, sharpening or scaling, you might find her plotting the next dental mission trip. Tami is committed to organized dentistry, and has worked with the Illinois State Dental Societies senate as one of the first Dental hygiene
voting members in the nation. This opportunity has allowed her to improve relations between the dental hygiene and the dental community. Her contributions have been mainly achieved by establishing and embracing diversity, earning respect, and maintaining a radiant sense of balance.