Assess, Maintain, Retire, Replace: Mastery for Instrument Longevity, Selection and Optimization

A Hands-On Workshop for Assessing, Sharpening, and Instrument Selection.

(Includes rdhu Sharpening Kit (med/fine dual side stone | Guide | Ergonomic Test Stick) Value of $62

CE Hours: 6 (Live Course at rdhu)

Date: Saturday, April 18th, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Course Location:

rdhu

980 Fraser Drive, Suite 214

Burlington, ON

*Close to the Hamilton and Pearson airports. Hotel recommendation below.

Program Description:

Maximize the longevity, safety, and performance of your clinical tools in this immersive, hands-on workshop tailored for dental hygienists who are committed to delivering excellence in care. This full-day experience will strengthen your skills in sharpening techniques, ultrasonic insert assessment, instrument maintenance, and strategic curation—ensuring efficient workflows and optimal clinical outcomes.

Morning Session: In the first half of the day, you'll focus on sharpening fundamentals, assess the functional safety and lifespan of hand instruments, and evaluate ultrasonic inserts to determine when to replace or retire them. Gain confidence in identifying wear and knowing when an instrument is compromising performance or safety.

Afternoon Session: In the afternoon, you’ll experience hands-on demos with the Woodpecker PT-B and explore a variety of hand instruments, including innovative new designs. You’ll participate in a guided exercise to evaluate your clinical routines and determine what instruments truly serve your daily practice. Together, we’ll build a streamlined, customized kit that reduces redundancy and enhances your effectiveness.

To ensure lasting impact, Kathleen will guide you through a step-by-step process to:

Systemize your kits based on patient needs.
Develop your annual instrumentation budget.
Prepare to confidently advocate for necessary replacements or upgrades with decision-makers in your practice.

We’ll conclude with collaborative group work to create actionable instrumentation plans—whether you’re working full-time, part-time, or as a temp RDH. If you’ve ever struggled with dull, outdated instruments, this workshop will equip you with the tools, strategies, and language to initiate change.

Please Bring: Instruments will be provided for hands-on practice; however, we encourage you to bring one or two of your own kits for sharpening, as well as any ultrasonic inserts you'd like to evaluate during the session. This will allow you to directly apply what you learn to the tools you use every day.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Assess the condition and longevity of hand instruments determining when to sharpen, maintain, retire, or replace instruments to ensure optimal performance and efficiency.
Sharpen instruments effectively to preserve cutting efficiency, reduce operator fatigue, and extend instrument lifespan.
Evaluate ultrasonic insert wear and assess intended use to ensure optimal performance and clinical effectiveness
Explore new instrument designs and hybrid instruments to enhance efficiency while minimizing unnecessary replacements.
Build customized instrument kits that support clinical workflows while maximizing instrument longevity and reducing costs.
Develop a strategic annual instrumentation budget and investment plan to present to practice decision-makers.
Empower dental hygienists with the confidence and knowledge to advocate for high-quality instrumentation, optimize instrument performance, and implement long-term maintenance strategies for clinical success.

Included: Each participant receives an rdhu Sharpening Kit to take home! Dual Stone, ergonomic test stick and sharpening guide.

What Your Colleagues Have Said About Kathleen's Instrumentation Courses:

Loved getting one on one feedback and being able to learn about so many different topics. The presenter, Kathleen, was so helpful and knowledgeable. ~ Cassandra
Kathleen was great, very informative and great with teaching in person. I would highly come back for more courses and motivate my friends to attend too! ~ Samantha
Great course! I feel confident after learning with Kathleen how to sharpen properly; great tips! ~ Claudia
I enjoyed this course from start to finish. Very informative with lots of hands on learning. I can say I feel confident in my sharpening abilities now! ~ Rebekah
Very helpful and informative. Loved the guide and the stone. ~ Liz
Thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. Great refresher from what I learned in school. Very good tips; excellent instruction and material covered. ~ Mary Anne
Having a small class really helped as the presenter was able to go to each one of us and provide with feedback. ~ Ravneet
It was great! Presented well - Kathleen walked around and made sure we were completing each instrument correctly. ~ Amy
Kathleen delivered the course in a clear and articulate manner; lots of useful tips! ~ Munira
Excellent! I have struggled with sharpening since my grad 3 years ago. Excited to head back to practice and do some sharpening!! Thanks again. ~Regan
It was very informative and excellent. I learned alot today! ~ Ellena
I really enjoyed this course, it really helped me with my sharpening. I feel confident in my sharpening now. ~ Tianna

Hotel Recommendation:

Sandman

3451 S Service Rd W

Oakville, ON, L6L 0C3

(289) 881-7263

Register at the Sandman Oakville Hotel just down the road from rdhu! Click here to access the booking and use PROMO CODE: RDHU to receive our Corporate Rate!