Tag Archives: Handpiece

dental equipment

The Impact of Air-Driven and Electric Handpieces

The handpiece is an essential element in any dentist’s armamentarium. It is a fundamental device that can enhance—or hinder, depending on its efficiency and maintenance—the daily routine of a practice. Selecting the right handpiece is critical to helping ensure the smooth operation of everyday activities.

Innovations come and go in dentistry, with some being more impactful than others. The introduction of the air-driven handpiece nearly 60 years ago has proven to be a revolutionary advancement that genuinely changed the way dentists prepare teeth to receive dental restorative materials. The use of air-driven “high-speed” handpieces enabled clinicians to work more expeditiously with reduced trauma to the tooth and the patient. This development presented a major improvement from the “belt-driven” handpieces that preceded them and represents one of the most significant leaps forward in the era of modern dentistry.

Since it was introduced in 1957 by Dr. John Borden and DENTSPLY, several notable improvements have been made to the high-speed handpiece to make the design more ergonomic, the heads smaller for easier patient access, the turbines quieter, and bur-changing easier. Low-speed handpieces are now reserved primarily for finishing and polishing procedures, prophylaxis, and laboratory applications. Most dental delivery units contain both a low and high speed handpiece to provide the dentist with an instrument whose speed is specific to the operation that is being performed.

Electric handpieces (with variable revolutions per minute [RPM]) are also available that give dentists added benefits when compared to their traditional air-driven counterparts. One significant difference is having a specific RPM, with constant torque and less “bur chatter” (more concentric), so that when polishing or cutting through various types of tooth structure or restorative materials, the bur does not “bog down” or slow down when performing the clinical task.

In many clinical situations, an electric handpiece can perform the same functions that both an air-driven high-speed and separate low-speed unit can. Since most clinicians still prefer individual handpieces for high and low speeds so they can be more efficient chairside, this may not make a difference when choosing between the two systems; however, the higher initial investment for electric handpieces may be a consideration for some clinicians. Also, given the ability to “dial in” the desired RPM and use different contra-angles that have different gearing ratios, the electric handpiece can be custom-tailored to perform many other types of clinical procedures such as rotary endodontics, implant placement, and third molar removal (via tooth sectioning), for example. This clinical versatility is very desirable in today’s dental practices where multidisciplinary treatments are becoming increasingly common.

dental equipment

How does the High-speed Dental Unit Works

Air driven high-speed dental units are driven by a dental air compressor. The entry-level models all have three handpieces. They all provide a water reservoir. Some will provide a spare airline yoke for a second slow-speed hand-piece or a sonic scaler.

Advantages

Very reliable and versatile, if properly maintained.
Allows the practice to grow into more sophisticated level of work, with appropriate training.
Leads to greater job satisfaction for operators.

Disadvantages

Relatively high initial cost compared to other equipment (circa ￡2,000).

High-speed Hand Piece

The high speed handpiece is capable of up to 400,000 rpm. It takes friction grip burs (FG) and has a water cooling facility for the bur. The water flow supplied to the hand piece can be varied or switched off completely.

The handpiece provides low torque, which causes the bur to stall if pressed too hard onto the tooth (over 1-2 ounces of pressure).

It is used for the drilling of access points into teeth, for high speed sectioning of teeth during extraction and cutting or re-modelling of bone.

The handpiece needs regular lubrication during the session and can be autoclaved.
Air/water Syringe

The air/water syringe has two buttons – one to control water flow and one to control airflow.

It allows a stream of water, air or a fine mist.
Slow Speed Handpiece

The slow speed handpiece has an air-driven motor in the base. It is capable of forward and reverse movement and speeds of up to 30,000 rpm.

The control on the collar controls the speed and direction of the bur.

The slow speed handpiece has a very high torque. It is difficult to stall and can overheat the pulp if used for more than a few seconds on one tooth.

It is very versatile and can accept long HP burs in the nose cone, polishing cups in a prophy angle and, with the contra-angle, right angle (RA) burs or any other type of latch tool. Other latch tools include polishing cups, sanding discs, root canal paste fillers and diamond discs.
Compressor

The size and type of air compressor you may require should be considered at the time of purchase. Reservoirs are available from 4 gallons to 12 gallons supplying between 6-8 cubic feet/min (CFM).

A small compressor has the advantage of being lightweight, quieter and cheaper. However, if asked to work beyond its capacity, it will overheat and cut out. It is often suggested that if the practice intends to perform restorative work it is best to have an oil-less compressor, to prevent oil droplets in the airline contaminating the restorative material.

Compressors are available with motors from 0.5 horsepower (Hp) to a unit with dual 1Hp motors for heavy use.

dental tips

How to Clear Chairside Sandblasting

An advance in adhesive dentistry has resulted in sandblasting, to increases micro-retention, being performed as a routine procedure. Instead of wearing a path from the patient’s portable folding chair to the office lab to clean excess cement from a patient’s temporary or loosened permanent crown ,or for sandblasting the fitting surface of a crown, bridge inlay or veneer, the procedure is a half- turn away, thanks to the new breed of sandblasters and hookup options.

The uninterrupted patient/doctor exchange is especially beneficial with anxious adult patients – no need to cut the reassuring golf story short for a trip down the hall, leaving the patient alone. Standard hookup kits allow, with a simple male disconnect, access to the dental unit’s air source through the female port.

Many dentists have sandblasters with quick disconnects in every operatory, and these space- efficient wonders tuck easily into a drawer. The adaptors for standard 4-hole dental handpiece ports,or even for your favorite Kavo®, Sirona® or W&H® High speed handpiece port, for a blasting procedure – just pop on the adaptor and activate the sandblaster with your regular foot control, And how about the air quality?

The old dust collection methods are fast disappearing as dentists perform more and more chairside sandblasting. You’ve heard of them as the homemade variety, consisting of a discarded packaging box of gallon plastic milk carton with three handcuts holes. Learning over the nearest trash can, much to the dismay of office staff, Best of all, throwing open a window and blasting away (weather permitting). Times have changed and the new waves of dust collectors not only keep the air clean, but they look great, too – they’re high-tech looking, lightweight and simple to operate and empty.

No fancy installation, either- they simply plug into the nearest outlet. Best of all, the new breed of dust collectors are scaled to fit comfortably on an operatory countertop without without getting in the way, and without compromising user comfort or efficiency.

Dental Autoclve

The Sterilization Methods in Dentistry

Disposable dental supplies are also used whenever possible. Tools that are not disposable are generally scrubbed by hand and placed in a machine known as an autoclave. This machine then disinfects the tools by spraying them with very high-pressure steam, which kills most micro-organisms. Any tools that can not be subjected to high heat or moisture are usually disinfected with chemicals.

Disposable dental tools and supplies are some of the most important items when it comes to sterilization in dentistry. Some disposable dental supplies include bibs and masks wrapped in sterile packaging. Once these are used with one patient, they are simply thrown away.

Maintain sterilized instruments in the pouches or wrapping in which they were sterilized by autoclave sterilizer. 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.

Tools that can’t be thrown away, such as dental drills, are generally put through a very intensive dental sterilization process. First they are usually vigorously scrubbed by hand. This is usually done with hot water and detergent, and it helps remove any large particles, such as plaque. They may also be placed in a vibrating tray filled with cleaning solution, which can help remove very small particles.

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.

Sterilization in dentistry also involves killing the invisible germs on tools. Autoclaves are machines that are commonly used during sterilization in dentistry. These machines are usually made from large metal cylinders, and they are similar to pressure cookers. Once the tools are placed in the autoclave, they are sprayed with high-pressure steam. The high pressure inside this machine helps raise the steam to very high temperatures that are necessary for killing disease-causing micro-organisms.

dental equipment

Paying Attention on the Use of Dental Air Compressor

When you’re using a poor-quality air compressor system that delivers either dirty air or an air compressor that delivers air at a lower pressure than required, you’ll see low-quality or even no operation of these devices. If air pressure is good, but the air itself is unclean, then you’re risking internal damage to those units, reducing their overall lifespan.

The biggest concern is moist air that can harm delicate internal machinery and quickly make your tools unusable. Moisture can lead to corrosion, microorganism contamination and decrease the precision of your tools. For those who select a low-quality air compressor, a common issue is carbon buildup that poses an even greater danger to the machinery in handpieces.

Electric dental handpieces also tend to have a greater cost and a higher number of parts that you’ll need to maintain, while air-driven pieces can be obtained in full, often for less than $1,000. Air-driven handpieces also tend to be lighter and easier to handle, with the latest innovations providing greater torque so you can use them for many applications over a longer period of time.

Oil-lubricated air compressors tend to be quieter and can last longer than other models, making them seem like a top choice for a dental office, but that may not be the case.

The main reason many dentists choose an oilless air compressor is because they have a lower risk of contaminating the compressed air with lubricant. These units also tend to be lighter, allowing them to be placed in a wider range of areas, while still creating as much air flow and pressure as many oil-lubricated models.

Removing the risk of contaminating the air is the biggest win and makes the most sense because it can protect the health and safety of your patients, staff and those in your office waiting areas. While you will need to perform maintenance slightly more often, the health and safety concerns significantly outweigh any benefit you’d see from using the heavier, lubricated models.

dental equipment

The Advantages of Using Dental Scaler

Many of the recognized brand names have survived the test of time, offering the benefit of reducing hand and wrist fatigue as well as tissue trauma. Common in today’s hygiene and periodontal armamentarium is the sonic or ultrasonic handpiece. Whether used only occasionally or on a routine basis, most dental professionals are familiar with sonic or ultrasonic technology in some capacity. With the utility of the products that are available today, there is no reason why every operatory should not be equipped with this technology.

The use of ultrasonic devices has dramatically improved the practice of supragingival scaling and periodontal debridement. Although ultrasonic technology has been around for decades, improvements in recent years have allowed its use to become mainstream. Ultrasonic technology in general, whether magnetostrictive (long inserts with metal rods that flex) or piezo-electric (small tips that screw onto the dental handpiece), and sonic scalers to a lesser degree, offer several advantages over hand scaling:

(1) less hand and wrist fatigue due to the light touch necessary to merely guide the scaler tip along the tooth surface.

(2) decreased treatment time, especially with heavy deposits, leaving more time for patient education or procedures such as placement of chemotherapeutic agents (ie, Arestin [OraPharma], Atridox [Collagenex Pharmaceuticals], or PerioChip [Dexcel Pharma]).

(3) more efficient removal of dental plaque and calculi with ultrasonic instrumentation.

(4) water provides continuous tissue lavage, thereby reducing the need for rinsing during scaling, since the water flow allows for high visibility throughout the procedure; this lavage also increases tissue comfort for the patient during and after the procedure.

(5) antiseptic solution can be substituted for the water to provide simultaneous irrigation/disinfection of the region being treated.

(6) gritty, pumice-based polish may no longer be necessary or indicated following scaling with ultrasonic; due to the efficient stain removal during scaling, a milder, minimally invasive paste or polish can be used, preserving the glaze on composite and porcelain restorations; less abrasive polish enhances patient acceptance and lowers post-scaling sensitivity.

Hygienists in our office rave about our new piezo-electric scalers and, more importantly, patients are very complimentary about how their mouths feel after their maintenance visits. If you have the desire to move into the world of electric scalers, or are ready to upgrade, give considerable thought to the purchase of a piezo-electric scaler. This technology will stand the test of time. It is the ultimate in ultrasonic scalers.

dental health

Best Practices for Handpiece Maintenance

High Speed Handpiece
High Speed Handpiece

Properly functioning High Speed Handpiece are crucial to maintaining a pleasant, efficient dental practice. Unfortunately, insufficient maintenance is a leading cause of the premature failure of these devices. Keep this list in mind each time you clean and lubricate your handpieces to ensure that they operate at top performance and last longer.

1. Remember to always follow the KaVo’s instructions regarding handpiece maintenance found in the manual. Paying attention to the manufacturer’s instructions could avoid serious damage to the handpiece, regardless of whether you are working with a high- or low-speed device.

2. Put down the pliers. Remember to use KaVo-approved tools on your handpiece, or send them in to the KaVo Repair Center for the highest quality repairs. Even if pliers seem like the obvious solution to a small problem, this could cause damage to the handpiece, or even void your warranty.

3. Don’t ignore the bur. Remember to remove the bur during handpiece maintenance, as this allows proper purging of lubricant and debris.

4. Keep wipe-downs simple. Remember to wipe your handpiece down with warm water, or warm water with a mild detergent, prior to lubrication and sterilization. Using strong chemicals to do this is unnecessary, and can lead to reduced handpiece life due to chemical interactions during sterilization. Do not submerge the handpiece in any liquid.

5. Double-check your connections. Make sure you are using the correct spray adapter for your handpiece connection types (MULTIflex, E-style, etc.).  If you have a fixed back handpiece, make sure your spray goes in the drive-air port (the smaller of the two) to apply your lubricant, rather than any other opening in the handpiece. This opening is the only direct path to the turbine.

Remember, if you have any questions on Dental Handpiece maintenance, contact your KaVo Sales rep or call technical service at 1-888-ASK-KAVO, and follow option 2.