Combined dental instrument and dental instrument sharpener

Abstract

A hand-held dental mirror carrying a sharpening stone for a dental instrument such as a curette, comprising a shaft supporting a mirror, a hand grip coupled to the shaft, and a sharpening stone coupled to the shaft.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A hand-held dental mirror carrying a sharpening stone for a dental instrument, comprising: 
 a shaft supporting a mirror;    a hand grip coupled to the shaft; and    a sharpening stone coupled to the shaft.    
     
     
         2 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 1  wherein the sharpening stone defines a longitudinal opening through which the shaft passes.  
     
     
         3 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 1 , further comprising means for releasably maintaining the stone coupled to the shaft.  
     
     
         4 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 3  wherein the means for releasably maintaining the stone coupled to the shaft comprises a mechanical device at the end of the shaft opposite the mirror.  
     
     
         5 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 4  wherein the mechanical device is releasably coupled to the end of the shaft opposite the mirror.  
     
     
         6 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 1  wherein the sharpening stone defines one end that lies proximate one end of the hand grip.  
     
     
         7 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 6  wherein the one end of the hand grip defines an outer surface that lies farther from the shaft than does the outer surface of the one end of the sharpening stone, to help prevent the dental instrument being sharpened from sliding past the stone onto the grip.  
     
     
         8 . The hand-held dental mirror of  claim 1  wherein the hand grip and the sharpening stone are both releasably coupled to the shaft.  
     
     
         9 . A hand-held dental instrument, carrying a sharpening stone for another dental instrument, in which the hand-held dental instrument includes a shaft, comprising: 
 a sharpening stone coupled to the shaft; and    means for releasably maintaining the stone coupled to the shaft.    
     
     
         10 . A dental instrument sharpening stone system, in which the sharpening stone is adapted to be releasably coupled to a dental instrument which includes a shaft, comprising: 
 an elongated, integral sharpening stone body defining a longitudinal opening sized to pass the instrument shaft therethrough; and    a mechanical device for releasably holding the stone body on the shaft.    
     
     
         11 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 10  wherein the stone body further defines a grip for the dental instrument.  
     
     
         12 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 10  wherein the stone body has a particular cross-sectional shape adapted for sharpening a particular type of dental instrument.  
     
     
         13 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 10  further comprising an elongated grip for the instrument that defines a longitudinal opening sized to pass the instrument shaft therethrough.  
     
     
         14 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 13 , wherein the stone body is closer to the end of the shaft than is the grip.  
     
     
         15 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 13 , wherein the stone body and grip are proximate one another on the shaft.  
     
     
         16 . The sharpening stone system of  claim 15 , further comprising an elastic buffer element between the stone body and the grip, to absorb stress between them.