curette

Definition

A hand-held surgical instrument, often with a scoop or hook at its tip, used for cleaning or debriding biological tissue.

Etymology

Borrowed from French curette, from curer (“to clean out, scrape out”).

Example Sentences

• "Curettes are used for the subgingival removal of dental deposits and for root planing. They can also be used supragingivally. The working tip of a curette is more slender than that of a scaler."
• "Beginning in the 1880s, the curette quickly became the popular choice for those doctors on the lookout for instrumental aid in cases of pregnancy loss."
• "2020, Yu Matsumoto, 10: Bone Curette Handle for Improved Bone Removal in Endoscopic Ear Surgery, Seiji Kakehata, Tsukasa Ito, Daisuke Yamauchi (editors), Innovations in Endoscopic Ear Surgery, Springer, page 86, Curettes with an octagonal-shaped shaft are readily available and widely distributed in Japan."