Dental instrument sharpening device

A sharpening device for a dental instrument having a handle and a tip formed to have a cutting edge defined by a face and lateral side, comprising:

• a base supporting a sharpening stone and having a generally planar support surface to be placed in a fixed position on a generally horizontal surface to cause said sharpening stone to be disposed in at least two distinct fixed angular positions relative to said generally planar support surface and also having a hand grip portion integral with and extending generally upwardly from said generally planar support surface;
• said base including stone retention means for removably supporting and retaining said sharpening stone in either of said two distinct fixed angular positions relative to said generally planar support surface such that said hand grip portion can be held with one hand and said handle of said dental instrument can be held with the other hand while placing said lateral side of said tip of said dental instrument into direct contact with said sharpening stone with said tip of said dental instrument oriented such that said face is disposed parallel to said generally horizontal surface and in a horizontal plane without regard to the angle of said handle relative to said sharpening stone for thereafter imparting relative movement between said tip of said dental instrument and said sharpening stone to sharpen said dental instrument.