Maintenance is key: How to extend the lifespan of your dental handpiece
Repairing and replacing your dental handpieces can get expensive, so it’s important to ensure the proper maintenance of them if you want to experience efficient running and longevity. Everything from incorrect oiling to a lack of proper usage can contribute to the breakdown of your equipment, but avoiding these common mistakes is an easy matter of knowledge and good habits.
At Trigiene, we service thousands of dental handpieces each month and understand the significant impact that inadequate maintenance can have on your equipment. In this article, we are going to share with you all the ways that you can ensure the proper maintenance of your equipment for optimal performance so that you can save money on repairs and enjoy long-lasting benefits.
What is the life expectancy of a dental handpiece?
While every handpiece will have different life expectancies, with proper maintenance they can last you several years of usage. Most can go through up to 500 sterilisation cycles before needing a complete replacement if given the right care and will save you a lot of money in unnecessary costs.
Maintenance habits to build to extend the life of your handpiece
To help you get the best out of your handpiece for as long as possible, we’ve collated some of our top maintenance tips for you to build into your care and cleaning routine, including:
- Investing in high-quality lubricating oil
- Performing regular air-pressure checks
- Clean high-quality air
- Buying good quality dental burs
- Having a purified and filtered water supply
- Using an automatic handpiece maintenance unit
- Following safe storage practices.
Invest in high-quality oil
Experts say that one of the leading causes of breakdowns in dental handpieces comes from insufficient or incorrect oiling of the handpiece, whether it’s from using incorrect oil adaptors or oiling machine failure. This makes selecting high-quality maintenance oil for your handpieces vital to ensuring the proper functioning of your equipment.
If you want to be certain that you’re picking the right oil for your equipment then follow the manufacturer’s recommended lubricants. These options have already been tested and approved to optimise the performance of your handpieces. Also, try to avoid any cheaper alternatives as these are often made from inferior mineral-based oils which can become very thick and greasy which will damage your equipment over time.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth look into how to correctly oil your dental handpieces with a step-by-step tutorial, we have a great YouTube series that will guide you through the correct oiling procedures from cleaning to oiling then sterilisation.
Check the air pressure of your dental handpiece
Both the air quality and pressure you use for your dental handpieces can drastically affect their lifespan. Air pressure especially can cause the high-speed turbines to wear out faster if the pressure is too high, however, using too little pressure will cause the dental handpiece to rotate weakly and increase the load of torque and damage the bearings.
Every manufacturer will have their own recommendations on what the optimum air pressure will be so always check the instruction manual for the best results, but as a general guide, the air pressure at the point of delivery should be between 2.5 and 3 bars.
Ensure good air quality for your handpiece
When it comes to air quality, you want to make sure that your air is clean and dry if you want to extend the life of your handpieces. With an air turbine spinning at speeds of up to 400,000 rpm (revolutions per minute), it only takes the most minute spec of dust to get into the bearings to cause a breakdown.
To avoid this, make sure you’re getting your handpiece serviced regularly and that the compressor air filters are being replaced. Pay attention to the location of the compressor as this needs to be located in a well-ventilated and dust-free space to ensure optimum performance and clean air.
Using quality dental burs and clean water lines
Poor quality dental burs can cause chuck damage through excessive wear or jamming, which can result in costly repairs and inconvenient downtime. To avoid this, your burs should only be sourced from a reliable, quality, dental distributor. You should also reject any burs that become distorted with use, as these will easily get stuck in the chuck and require handpiece repair.
Using an adequate water supply to the bur during use is another essential part of maintaining patient comfort as well as keeping the handpiece operation cool during use. If the handpiece overheats, then not only does this pose a burn risk to the patient but it can also inflict serious damage to the chuck mechanism so you must be using an adequate water supply during use.
If you want to enjoy long-lasting benefits for your burs then make sure to keep your water bottle and water lines clean by using a waterline disinfectant daily. Neglecting the cleaning of these will not only result in potential water blockage but a build up of dangerous organisms that will cause a serious health risk to the patient.
Oiling your chuck mechanism
For optimal performance, don’t neglect the task of oiling the chuck of the handpiece (where the bur is inserted). This is the most intricate and delicate part of the micromechanical engineering in the handpiece, making it one of the most expensive components to replace if it breaks. The chuck also happens to be the component closest to the point of abrasion and can become compromised with the ingress of body fluid, which is another reason it will need extra care and cleaning if you want to guarantee the proper functioning of your handpiece.
Luckily, oiling the chuck is a very simple procedure and won’t take too much time out of your day if you use a pointed-type nozzle on the oil can. Remember, taking time for the proper maintenance of the chuck will not only significantly increase its lifespan, it will save you a lot of money on this expensive component in the long run.
Introduce an automatic maintenance unit
It’s not just oiling your handpieces or ensuring correct air pressure that can increase the longevity of your equipment, having a well-trained team can be a big asset towards this as well. Inconsistency in procedure and standard of maintenance will lead to more damage over time and more expensive repair costs.
Try introducing an automatic handpiece maintenance unit to improve efficiency and consistency in your processes, along with reducing long-term costs associated with manual oiling. Most automatic handpiece maintenance units can manage the reprocessing of your handpieces including cleaning the drive/chip air handpiece channels and oiling to give you that extra level of decontamination and peace of mind.
Store your handpieces correctly
Even while not in use, you need to make sure your handpieces are stored correctly if you want them to last for years to come. After every use, the handpiece should be cleaned externally, oiled then sterilised. Make sure to check your manufacturer’s guide for more information on the proper sterilisation methods for each piece of equipment.
Lastly, consider using special holders while storing your dental handpieces, keeping them upright (head up) will not only help to prevent moisture and the pooling of lubricants but it will also prevent them from falling over and getting damaged while not in use. Store your handpieces in a controlled environment with a cool temperature to avoid any humidity and keep the storage area clean. All of this will help prevent damage to your equipment and improve their performance while in use, making storage a crucial part of maintaining your handpieces.
What should I do if my handpiece needs further maintenance?
Even with proper maintenance, issues can crop up from time to time and unfortunately, there will always be general wear and tear. If you’ve been putting all of our advice above into practice but something still seems wrong, then there may be something more serious causing the handpiece to malfunction. When dealing with these delicate pieces of equipment it’s important to seek specialist help and get them fixed as fast as possible to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse over time.
At Trigiene, we have a team of experts who are on hand to provide you with advice and support when you’re having issues with your dental handpieces. Whether you’re looking for an immediate repair or want to reach out for some expert advice, you can get in touch with us directly on our contact us page or click the message button in the bottom left of the screen for immediate support from our team.