Dental Instrument Sharpening & Repair

Sharpening is priced per instrument, and the price depends on the instrument type and the work involved — a scaler or curette is less involved than a rongeur or needle holder. Send us your instrument list for exact pricing; sharpening typically costs a fraction of replacing the instrument.

Sharpen cutting instruments as soon as the edge begins to dull, rather than on a fixed count. Practical signs an instrument needs sharpening: the cutting edge reflects light (a truly sharp edge does not), it takes more lateral pressure to work, or it burnishes calculus instead of removing it. Scissors should be sharpened when they begin to fold tissue rather than cut cleanly. Always follow your facility’s own infection-control and instrument-care protocols.

Many instrument defects are repairable: broken tips can be reshaped (with slight length reduction), bent shanks can be straightened, loose handles can be re-secured, worn serrations can be re-cut, and corroded surfaces can be re-passivated. Instruments with cracked jaws, fractured hinges, or severe corrosion pitting are not repairable and should be replaced.

Shipping used, previously-clinical instruments across a border involves customs, decontamination, and biohazard-handling requirements that vary significantly by origin and destination country. Tell us your location and instrument list when you enquire, and we will confirm whether inbound shipment is workable for your country or whether sharpening is better handled as part of a new bulk order instead.