Monthly Archives: July 2018

Dental Curing Light

The Advantages of Dental Curing Light

In the dental field, a curing light can use ultraviolet or visible light, depending on what it is designed for. Both dentist and patient need to wear eye protection to limit damage to the retina for even the 20 seconds to a minute that the light is in use during rapid curing, and the light needs to be well maintained so that it will work properly and effectively. It’s also important to use the right curing light for the right resin product; many lights are designed to handle a range of resins safety.

Both light intensity – or irradiance – and the dental application should factor into a dentist’s decision regarding his or her choice of curing light. For instance, irradiance is measured by calculating power output, or milliwatts (mW), of a curing light across the surface area of the curing light guide. A curing light must deliver a minimum irradiance of 400mW/cm2 for a time interval to adequately polymerize a 1.5-2mm thick resin composite.

Clinicians also should consider the clinical application at hand. It has been documented that irradiance of curing lights attenuate/decrease significantly when it passes through restorative materials, such as ceramic restorations or resin composites. The percentage of decrease in irradiance depends on filler type, filler loading, shades, refractive index, opacity, translucency and thickness of restorative materials. Curing lights with high irradiance compensate for the decrease in the loss of total energy and allow dentists to cure resin composites completely. In general, an irradiance of 1000mW/cm2 or higher is considered ideal to cure resin-based materials through indirect restorations.

Using a curing light accomplishes two things. In the first place, it makes sure that the resin cures properly and adheres evenly. When applying fillings, this is critical to keep the filling in place in the mouth. For sealants, the curing light limits the risk of cracks and other problems with the sealant. With adhesives for implants and braces, the rapid, even cure is also designed to limit problems in the future.

The dental curing light also increases patient comfort by rapidly curing resins so that the patient is not forced to sit in discomfort while the resin sets. Since the mouth usually needs to be held open wide and may be dry for the procedure, patients usually want the procedure to end as quickly as possible so that they can close their mouths and remoisturize the dried oral membranes. Using a curing light gets patients in and out of the chair quickly so that the experience of irritation and pain is limited.

Dental Compressor

The Problems of Dental Air Compressor

One major problem that emerges in compressed air systems is pressure drop, which is marked by a loss of pressure between the compressor and the end point. While a certain amount of pressure drop is inevitable, it should never amount to more than a 10 percent loss of pressure during a given application. Otherwise, higher pressure demands end up being placed on the compressor, which results in more rapid wear and tear across the entirety of an air system.

For each pound of pressure either increased or decreased, a power plus or minus 0.5 percent is required. For example, a five percent power savings can be gained with a decrease of 10 psig. On a 100 hp compressor, this would translate to $1,740 in annual energy savings.

Pressure drop is usually caused by trouble with the pipes and weaknesses at the filters and dryers. Unfortunately, system operators will often compensate for the pressure loss by boosting the system pressure, which results in costlier operations. The correct way to handle this issue is to check for problems at the filters and dryers and replace certain items as necessary.

It’s crucial for air system pipes to remain clean and free of dirt, rust or other contaminants. After all, compressed air reaches its end point through these pipes. When contaminants are present, air pressure weakens, and the problem gradually accelerates when left un–rectified. The pipes should always remove air from the top of the air line, otherwise contaminants will travel to the pneumatic tools.

Airstream contamination increases with velocity, which in turn increases with restrictions in pipe size. Basically, the velocity of the pipes that run to the end point should be 50 seconds or less, while the interconnecting pipes and main headers should have velocity in the range of 20 to 30 feet per second. System velocity can be calculated by dividing the flow in cfm by the pipe’s compression ratio, divided by the pipe area, divided by 60.

Another factor that can impact condensation is the ambient temperature that surrounds a facility. Simply put, condensation levels multiply as temperatures rise from average to humid. For example, a 200 hp compressor will produce roughly 50 gallons of condensate over the course of a 60–degree day. However, that same machine will generate more than five times the amount of condensate if the temperature is 30 degrees higher. A 200 hp compressor will produce roughly 50 gallons of condensate over the course of a 60-degree day.

Further inefficiency can stem from problems with the system drains, which are designed to deal with condensation. Drains are placed at strategic points along a dental air compressor system, such as the tank, dryer and aftercooler. The trouble emerges when the drain fails to do its job properly, and sludge accumulates along the drainage points from a mix of water, oil and dirt.

Some of the most common mistakes in compressed air maintenance are easily avoidable if everyone on an air system staff understands how to properly care for the equipment at hand. From the compressor itself to the various parts that make up an air system, routine inspections along key areas must be made for signs of wear, condensation and dirt deposits.

dental equipment, Intraoral Camera

The Use of Dental Intraoral Camera on Oral Pathology

The dental equipment is constantly searching for ways to improve how we can diagnose and treat conditions in the oral environment. The ability to diagnose various types of oral pathology in their earliest forms is a huge benefit to both patients and dentists.

The dental explorer is said to have an accuracy of about 25%, and traditional radiographs have been reported to be about 68% accurate, but the tooth structure has to undergo enough damage for the lesion to become visible and by that time the patient is definitely getting a filling. These traditional lesion detection modalities are simply not capable of spotting small, early pathologies. But new technologies are now available to help clinicians locate and quantify potential problems in the gingival tissues as well as the teeth.

Of course clinically identifying an issue is just the first step. A patient must understand the trouble and consent to treatment, and one of the best tools to get patients engaged emotionally with their oral health care is an intraoral camera. When a patient can see a problem, he or she becomes more emotionally involved in the situation and engaged with finding a solution. With these patients the dental team doesn’t have to sell the patient on a treatment, they only need to find a time in the schedule to restore the problem and a financial plan that works for the patient.

While there are options for lesion detection and intraoral imaging, only a handful are able to combine both technologies into a single device the way has with the intraoral camera system. The camera combines the imaging prowess of a top intraoral camera with unique diagnostic illumination modes that can help identify suspected carious lesions or evaluate periodontal health.
When capturing intraoral images, it helps to have flexibility so you are able to get the specific shot you need for the case at hand. When using the camera I’m able to choose from four magnification levels so I can shoot an extraoral patient portrait or smile, or intraorally capture a full arch, a single tooth or even fine detail on a tooth surface.

Many intraoral cameras can do that, but with a combination system I can also switch to a diagnostic setting and in the case of the camera I can use 450 nm blue LED wavelength which makes potential carious lesions stand out from the healthy tooth structure in a way that is easy for not just a clinician but also for a patient to see and understand. With the camera this extra diagnostic capability goes even further with a periodontal screening setting that can provide images to help patients understand the periodontal issues discovered by their hygienists.

dental equipment

How to Repair Electric Dental Handpiece Repair

Every dentist is dependent on the electric handpiece in order for the practice to run smoothly. Proper maintenance allows the dental handpiece to keep running safely. The sterilization process is actually what has the greatest effect on the equipment itself, causing it to suffer wear and tear. It’s important that you choose the repair options that’s right for you and your dental office.

Sterilization by dental autoclave is a necessary part of the maintenance of your dental handpiece. This process also puts your handpiece under the most stress with wear and tear. Maximum temperatures in your autoclave shouldn’t reach more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This can help to preserve your handpiece just a bit longer in between the need for service.

Electric handpiece repair doesn’t require a complete rebuilding of the tool each and every time. Most times, the parts that are causing the issues are inspected and replaced if needed. Sometimes, factory parts are required for a repair, other times, bearings of higher ratings can be used, depending on the state of the tool itself. Each brand and variation of handpiece has a different number of bearings and gears. That’s why you need to send your most important tool to the right repair company to ensure a safe and effective repair.

Every dental handpiece will need to be serviced at some point from time to time, it’s important to properly maintain your handpiece as you move through your day-to-day operations. Arpino Dental is here to service your handpiece any time that you need us, but in the meantime, here’s some tips to help you keep your handpiece in great condition.

Regular servicing of your dental handpiece is crucial to ensure a long and well-functioning operation of the tool. There are some tell tale signs that your handpiece needs more than routine servicing.

1. If your dental handpiece is vibrating more than usual, it could be a sign that there’s a problem with the handpiece itself. The simple solution is that you may simply just need to flush the handpiece out with oil as directed by your manufacturer. Simple lubrication can work wonders for your handpiece. Alternatively, the bearings inside of the tool could be loose.

2. If there’s a problem with the turbine inside of the tool, you could also be looking at a problem with the motor on your dental handpiece. It may even be worth replacing your handpiece all together with a refurbished dental handpiece.

Electrical handpieces operate at both high and low speeds. This makes them versatile for all kinds of procedures. Instead of bearings, this handpiece has gears instead of bearings. These handpieces are quieter due to the fact that air is not flowing through them for power.

Dental Compressor

Common Mistakes in Air Compressor Maintenance

Common mistakes in compressed air maintenance include failure to assess energy costs and the impacts of contamination and condensation. These mistakes alone can lead to inefficiency and parts failure that can result in losses in the tens of thousands over the course of a given year. Further compressed air maintenance mistakes include a lack of attention to secondary components and a failure to properly train all members on staff of the finer nuances of compressor operation.

One of the biggest compressed air maintenance mistakes is to underestimate or miscalculate the amount of energy that a compressor will use within the span of a year. Fact is, the price to operate an air compressor can equal or exceed the purchasing cost of the machine in the space of just 12 months. Most problematic in this regard is the wasteful usage of a compressed air system, which often occurs when operators are unaware of the overall energy costs.

On average, an industrial air compressor will retail in the ballpark of $30,000 to $50,000. When you multiply the operating costs per hour by the number of usage hours per day across 12 months, the cost of operating the machine during the first year alone could well exceed the initial price, and that doesn’t even count any possible maintenance costs.

A reliable way to estimate annual energy costs is to take the compressor’s horsepower and multiply that by .746, then multiply that by the number of usage hours, then multiply that by the power rate, and finally divide the total by the motor efficiency.

To best assure efficiency, it’s important to accurately calculate the annual energy costs of an air compressor, and to make sure that all operating staff understand how the figure plays out on a daily basis. That way, wasteful system use can be curbed going forward.

Among certain air system operators, it’s simply assumed that maintenance begins and ends with a check of the compressor for signs of condensation and dirt. For operators who overlook the broader maintenance steps, the consequences can be confusing. After all, you can have a set of oilless air compressors that function perfectly, yet still have problems with the overall system.

Even though the compressor is the main component of concern within an air system, it’s not the only one in need of routine maintenance. Of equal importance during any maintenance inspection are the other components that facilitate the air supply. Chief among such components is the air receiver, which holds compressed air for times when air demands increase, and also reduces system wear and contamination.

The air receiver makes it possible to run the compressor at lower levels and conserve energy in the process. However, the air receiver won’t be able to do its job properly if it’s too small for the system, because the compressor will have to run longer than necessary to keep up with air demand. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the air receiver is either large enough for the system, or backed with secondary receivers.

dental health

The Main Steps of Dental Implant

The primary use of dental implants is to support dental prosthetics. Modern dental implants make use of osseointegration, the biologic process where bone fuses tightly to the surface of specific materials such as titanium and some ceramics. The integration of implant and bone can support physical loads for decades without failure.

For individual tooth replacement, an implant abutment is first secured to the implant with an abutment screw. A crown (the dental prosthesis) is then connected to the abutment with dental cement, a small screw, or fused with the abutment as one piece during fabrication. Dental implants, in the same way, can also be used to retain a multiple tooth dental prosthesis either in the form of a fixed bridge or removable dentures.

An implant supported bridge (or fixed denture) is a group of teeth secured to dental implants so the prosthetic cannot be removed by the user. Bridges typically connect to more than one implant and may also connect to teeth as anchor points. Typically the number of teeth will outnumber the anchor points with the teeth that are directly over the implants referred to as abutments and those between abutments referred to as pontics. Implant supported bridges attach to implant abutments in the same way as a single tooth implant replacement by dental implant machine. A fixed bridge may replace as few as two teeth (also known as a fixed partial denture) and may extend to replace an entire arch of teeth (also known as a fixed full denture). In both cases, the prosthesis is said to be fixed because it cannot be removed by the denture wearer.

Dental implant treatment generally takes several months and follows a three-step process.

Your Smile approved dentist places the implant into the jaw then inserts a screw to prevent debris from entering. It will take 3 to 6 months for the implant to fuse with the jawbone, during which time the gum is secured over the implant.

Upon returning to the dentist, the implant is uncovered and an extension called a post is attached. Once the gum tissue has healed around the post, the implant and post act as the foundation for the new tooth.

Finally, the dentist makes a crown that best suits your natural teeth, considering factors including size, shape and colour.

If cared for correctly, your dental implant should last a lifetime. The artificial replacement tooth attached, however, be it a dental crown, bridge or denture, does have a lifespan, which is generally between 5-15 years depending on how well it is cared for. Once completed, the crown is attached to the implant post and you can enjoy your beautiful new smile!

Dental Autoclve

What You Need to Know about Sterilization

Dental equipment used on known hepatitis patients do not require special reprocessing procedures. The same sterilization and other infection control precautions should be used regardless of a patient’s HIV, hepatitis, or other disease status.

Ideally, all items that enter the patient’s mouth and come into contact with oral tissues should be heat sterilized. If this is not feasible because the device or instrument cannot withstand the heat sterilization process, a high-level disinfectant should be used.

Maintain sterilized instruments in the pouches or wrapping in which they were sterilized. If the packaging becomes torn or wet, the items must be repackaged and heat sterilized. Avoid mingling non-sterile packages with sterile ones. There should be a visible indicator, such as chemical indicators or color-change autoclave tape on the outside of each package to allow staff to easily discern sterilized instrument packages from those that have not yet been heat-processed.

Dry heat autoclave sterilizers have been used effectively in dental office for many years. Just as with any other sterilization method, dry heat sterilization is highly dependent upon the operator following the manufacturer’s instructions for cycle time, temperature, instrument packaging, and loading technique. Because dry air is not as efficient a heat conductor as moist heat at the same temperature, a much higher temperature is required for a dry heat unit to accomplish sterilization.

There have been some recommendations that dry heat be used only in situations where moist heat is not desirable due to the material, such as oils, powders, sharp instruments and glassware. However, the same source points out that dry heat provides excellent penetration and prevents the corrosion of metals. Since forced-air dry heat systems have very short sterilization cycles and are kind to high carbon steel instruments, they are very often used in orthodontic practices to re-process pliers and cutters.
Keep in mind that the only way to assure that sterilization parameters are routinely met is to use spore tests/biological monitors. Weekly testing is recommended.

The FDA maintains a list of products that have received clearance as chemical sterilants. The list includes information regarding proper contact time, active ingredients and reuse or shelf life. Always read instructions carefully before using a chemical germicide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), OSAP, most state dental licensing boards, and dental handpiece manufacturers all recommend heat sterilization between patient uses. Virtually all handpieces currently in production are heat-tolerant, and those that are not can be retrofitted to allow heat-processing. Autoclaving and chemical vapor sterilization are considered accepted methods of heat sterilization. High-level disinfection via chemical germicides cannot be biologically monitored to assure sterility. Further, extended contact with chemical germicides may corrode handpiece components.