Dental handpieces are a core component of your dental practice. These uniquely-designed dental instruments consist of a highly sophisticated combination of highly-precise parts that move in a perfect level of synchronization with one another.
Each of the parts move at exceptionally high speeds in order to complete complicated dentistry activities, increase patient comfort level, and improve your productivity, as a practitioner. Unfortunately, these parts are consistently under a tremendous strain or load. As a result, the internal components of these technologically-advanced instruments may, eventually, fail. This is where regular maintenance comes into play.
In this article, you will learn about the most important maintenance procedures that will aid in keeping your dental handpieces functioning optimally for many years to come.
Surface Cleaning
The first maintenance procedure that will ensure optimal functionality of your dental handpieces is engaging in the act of surface cleaning the instrument. The first step to this process is flush water through the instrument while it is still attached to the air line. This should be done for approximately 30 seconds.
This is the first line of defense against contaminants that may be lingering in the internal-based water line. Immediately thereafter, a cleaning brush should be used under water to eliminate any surface contaminants. You should always avoid using chemical cleaners on the exterior region of the dental handpiece as this could create unfavorable reactions during the sterilization process.
Drying
The next step in dental handpiece maintenance that will keep your instrument functioning optimally is drying. If water or any type of moisture is left on the exterior surface of the dental instrument, it could result in the development of corrosion within the interior region.
Naturally, corrosion could result in the onset of many problems such as sticking gears, lag, and excessive noise levels.
Lubrication
The dental handpieces that you utilize within your practice should be lubricated on a regular basis. You simply spray the proper lubrication within the head of the handpiece. This will help to get oil into the internal bearings. Once you have placed lubrication within your device, you should then run the instrument.
This will help push the oil through the handpiece – ensuring that all inner components receive the lubrication necessary for proper functioning. This also helps to expel any excess oil that is left within the unit.
In this post, you have learned that surface cleaning, drying, and lubrication is critical when it comes to the functionality of your dental handpieces. Naturally, there are other steps that you may take, too.
These maintenance steps include sterilizing your dental handpieces, cleaning any and all fiber-optics that are part of the instrument, and bagging the dental handpieces. Hughes Dental specializes in the maintenance, care, and repair of dental handpieces.
If you have a desire to ensure that your dental instruments function for as long as possible, we can help!
If you would like to learn more about that which we offer or would like to initiate the process of sending your dental handpieces to us, simply visit our
