Illustration from a United States patent for an ornate curette (Michelson, 1988)
A curette is a surgical instrument designed for scraping biological tissue or debris in a biopsy, excision, or cleaning procedure. In form, the curette is a small hand tool, often similar in shape to a stylus; at the tip of the curette is a small scoop, hook, or gouge. The verb to curette means to scrape with a curette.
A currette is commonly used to aid in the removal of impacted ear wax. Surgeons often use a curette for the debridement of tissue, a common example of which is dilation and curettage of the uterus performed in gynaecology.
In the performance of an adenoidectomy, an otolaryngologist may view the adenoids using a mirror or endoscope, and then excise the adenoids with a curette.
In periodontology, the edged hook of the periodontal curette scrapes calculus (tartar) deposits from tooth enamel.
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