curette curette a curette is a surgical instrument designed for scraping or debriding 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", and curettage (/ˌkʊərɪˈtɑːʒ/ or /ˌkjʊərɪˈtɑːʒ/) is treatment that involves such scraping. illustration from a united states patent for an ornate curette (michelson, 1988) a curette in sterile packaging, for scraping the interior of the uterus spoon-shaped curette. uses some examples of medical use of a curette include: the removal of impacted ear wax; dilation and curettage of the uterus, a gynecologic procedure; excision of many benign tumors and some malignant tumors; excision of the adenoids (adenoidectomy) by an otolaryngologist; to scrape tartar deposits from tooth enamel with a periodontal curette.