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Dental handpieces are essential tools in any dental practice, and they require regular maintenance to ensure they perform optimally and have a long lifespan. Proper maintenance includes regularly scheduled lubrication, sterilization in an autoclave, and ensuring proper pressure settings when using a high or low speed handpiece.
Lubrication:
One of the most important steps in maintaining a dental handpiece is regular lubrication. A dental bur can rotate up to 450,000 revolutions per minute on some electric handpiece, which makes it the fastest moving object on planet earth! So these beautifully engineered precision pieces of equipment require the care and maintenance of trained personnel that follow specific guidelines in order to increase the longevity of your handpiece repair and lifespan overall. Internally there are bearings that are made up of small metal balls that rotate rapidly, generating heat and friction. Without proper lubrication, the bearings can wear out quickly, leading to a decrease in the handpiece's performance and eventually its failure.
To properly lubricate a dental handpiece, you will need to follow the manufacturer's instructions, but generally, a small amount of high-quality dental handpiece oil should be applied to the handpiece's turbine before each use. You would do this by inserting an aerosol lubricant into the bottom of the handpiece using an E-type nozzle for electrics or a small tube inserted into the smaller of the two larger holes. With the head pointing downwards, spray until you see the oil coming out from the chuck or head. This ensures that the oil has completely saturated the cartridge. Insert a bur and run the excess oil out from the handpiece. Now you can move onto the autoclave procedure. Be sure to only use oil that is recommended by the manufacturer.
Autoclaving:
Another essential step in dental handpiece maintenance is proper sterilization. Dental handpieces come into contact with patients' saliva and blood, making them a potential source of infection if not properly sterilized. Autoclaving is the most effective method of sterilization for dental handpieces.
Before sterilizing a handpiece, it should be cleaned thoroughly to remove any debris or organic matter via a 2x2 gauze pad and some rubbing alcohol. Then, place the handpiece into an envelope and into an autoclave and sterilized according to the manufacturer's instructions. We recommend a cassette type autoclave. These units are ready to sterilize with steam on standby and the drying cycle is much more effective too. The traditional autoclave is still a tried and true means of sterilization, the process takes much longer than the cassette type. Please make sure the dry cycle has fully completed before removing the handpieces. For both autoclaves we recommend that the paper side of the envelopes be placed facing up to allow moisture to escape. It is essential to follow the sterilization process carefully to ensure the handpiece is thoroughly sterilized and free of any bacteria or viruses.
Pressure settings:
Finally, proper pressure settings are essential for maintaining a dental handpiece's performance and lifespan. The handpiece's turbine is designed to operate within a specific pressure range, and excessive pressure can cause damage to the bearings, turbine, and other components.
To ensure proper pressure settings, the dental practice's air compressor should be regularly maintained and calibrated to ensure it is delivering air pressure within the manufacturer's recommended range. Additionally, each handpiece should be checked periodically with a pressure gauge to ensure it is operating within the manufacturer's recommended pressure range.
For instance, if your handpiece operates at 34psi and you’re running a 5’ foot hose at your del unit, you’ll want to bump your pressure settings up 5 psi at the control panel in order to compensate for the frictional loss within that 5’ hose @ 1 psi loss per foot.
34psi + 5psi = 39psi at the control panel.
In conclusion, proper dental handpiece maintenance is essential for ensuring optimal performance, a long lifespan, and the safety of patients and dental professionals. This includes regular lubrication, autoclaving, and ensuring proper pressure settings. By following these guidelines, dental practices can ensure their handpieces perform at their best and are a safe and reliable instrument for patient care.
If you have any questions about your handpiece maintenance or would like to have an in person tutorial of handpiece care, please reach out to Apollonia Dental Repair to get on our schedule. (717) 256-4777