A dental handpiece is at the front and centre of any dental practice, helping you perform many daily procedures, which is why taking time to learn about how to properly clean and maintain them is so important. Lubrication is one of the vital steps in the maintenance of your dental handpiece, so ensuring proper oiling will help to increase the longevity and functionality of your kit.
Neglecting this essential step will eventually cause your handpieces to break down, and as they aren’t cheap to replace, this is likely something you wish to avoid. Knowing how to properly and safely oil them will help you save money on replacements in the long run. In this blog, we share with you a guide to oiling your dental handpieces the right way.
How to properly oil your dental handpiece
To optimise not only the life of your dental handpiece but also to maintain its proper performance, it is essential to lubricate it meticulously. There are a few different methods that you can use to do this. You can choose either a manual or automated process, both will get the job done, however, using an automated unit for the lubrication on your handpiece will save time and take out the guesswork.
The lubrication of your handpiece should be done prior to sterilisation and after efficient cleaning. It’s very important to read through the manufacturer’s oiling recommendations as well because, while our guide is comprehensive, every handpiece is different and using the wrong oil may still cause breakage even if done carefully.
Preparing your handpiece
The first thing you’ll need to do is to put on some protective clothing and clean gloves to prevent any chemicals or oil from coming into contact with your skin. Once done, you can then start by removing the handpiece from the coupling (or motor) and gently remove the bur.
Take off the organic material with a paper towel or tissue and clean the external body using a dedicated brush, then run under cool water, being careful that the water does not exceed 38°C and avoiding fully submerging. Once done, wipe down the handpiece with a disinfectant wipe, ensuring the piece is fully dried. You are now ready to begin the oiling process.
Manual internal cleaning and lubrication
If you’re choosing to oil your handpiece using a manual method. We personally recommend manufacturer-brand aerosol oils such as NSK Panaspray or Mk-Dent Maintenance oil. Keep clear of ‘own brand’ mineral oils as the quality is inferior and can cause autoclave damage or leave the handpieces feeling ‘greasy’. Aerosol oils allow the user to spray through the hole until they see oil coming out of the head, which is a clear indicator that the handpiece has been properly lubricated, while drop oils rely on the air pressure to drive the oil into the bearings, and so this won’t provide clear confirmation.
Before you begin manual lubrication, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using the right nozzle for oiling your handpiece. They have specific connectors and disconnectors that have unique spray tips that lock tightly onto the handpiece base to help force out debris, and using the wrong one might cause damage or lack of efficient oiling.
When lubricating a direct connection handpiece, the oil should always go into the smaller of the two larger holes at the bottom end of the handpiece, directly into the airline, until it emits out of the head at the top. To help you with the proper lubrication of your dental handpiece, we’ve included a step-by-step process to make this a quick and easy job.
- Shake the aerosol can vigorously after you’ve attached the appropriate nozzle to hold the can upright.
- Using a pointed nozzle, spray a small amount of oil into the chuck (where the bur is inserted).
- Insert the correct coupling type adaptor/ nozzle into the base of the handpiece.
- Spray for 1-2 seconds into a tissue covering the handpiece head (you will know it’s clean when the oil coming out is clear).
- Repeat this step if the oil shows discoloured.
- Wipe off any excess surface oil with a dry tissue.
- Sterilise the handpiece according to your sterilisation protocol.
- Before reusing it, attach it to your dental unit and run it for approximately 10 seconds.
Once you’ve completed these five easy steps, you can store your dental handpiece in a sterilisation pouch in a dry location, preferably in a ‘head up’ position. Never pouch or store the handpiece whilst still hot or damp.
Automated lubrication
Manual lubrication of your dental handpieces can take up a lot of time and there are potential pitfalls that can come with it. To avoid these, a lot of dental practices invest in an automated handpiece cleaning and lubrication system. These dedicated units provide a much faster and safer approach to the maintenance and longevity of your handpieces.
Automated units dispense the precise amount of lubricant needed every time to ensure the proper preparation of the mechanism. These units also connect to a source of compressed air which will get rid of any residue from solutions and lubricants in just a matter of seconds, making this automated process not only faster but more efficient overall. If you’re looking for a reliable oiling machine for your dental practice then browse our range of dental oiling units and enjoy a more efficient maintenance system for your handpieces.
Sterilisation and storing your handpiece
Once you’ve finished the lubrication process you should put your handpieces into an autoclave to begin the sterilisation process. As soon as the sterilisation cycle has finished remove the handpieces from the autoclave.
Your dental handpieces have now had the proper maintenance they need and are ready to be stored away. Always ensure that they are stored upright with the head facing up in a sterile pouch to avoid pooling lubricants and are placed in a clean, dust-free environment.
How often should you lubricate your dental handpiece?
Handpieces should be lubricated after every use, prior to sterilisation. The maximum continuous use of your handpiece prior to oiling should be 20 minutes in order to enjoy the longevity of your dental handpiece.
What if your handpiece still isn’t working?
If you find that lubricating your handpiece still isn’t fixing the problems you’re facing, then the problem might come from something deeper. Proper cleaning and oiling can greatly increase the lifespan of your handpieces, however, problems may still arise and in that case, you may need to turn to experts for a repair.
Here at Trigiene, we’ve got a team of friendly experts on hand to help you with anything you need regarding your dental handpieces. Whether you’re looking to book a handpiece repair to get your handpiece back to top performing order or if you’re looking for some expert advice, you can contact us by phone or email, or simply click the message button in the bottom left of the screen for immediate support from our team when available.
