Simple Strategies for Extending the Life of Your Dental Handpieces
As a practitioner, your dental handpieces are among the most important of all instruments. It is imperative that you take the measures that are necessary to extend the life of the devices.
The following outlines a few simple strategies that will save you time, save you money, and increase your productivity:
- Many dental practitioners believe that a chemical disinfectant should be utilized in order to clean their handpieces; however, this should be avoided. When the handpiece becomes heated, it could result in a chemical reaction that may result in corrosion.
- Immediately after using your dental handpieces, you should make certain that you properly clean the fiber optic or the LED lens. You may do this by simply placing the lens underneath running water and wiping the area with a sponge. This will aid in eliminating all of the debris that may occur on the outer area of the device. If you are not comfortable using the running water, you may – instead – use a cotton swab that is slightly dampened with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.
- If you choose to run the dental handpiece underneath running water in order to eliminate debris, it is extremely important that you avoid doing so when the device is warm. You must first allow the instrument to completely cool. If you fail to take this step, the introduction of water to cool the device may result in damage to the turbine.
- You should make certain that you properly lubricate your dental handpieces. Always utilize the lubricant that is specified for use in high speed handpieces. We recommend using our Syntek Lubricant.When applying the lubricant, you should ensure that it is emitted from the head of the instrument. This guarantees that the bearings have been completely covered in the lube. Once you have lubricated the device, you should engage in the process of expelling excess lubricant by operating the device prior to the autoclaving process. If the lubricant is not expelled, it could result in a detrimental gumming in and around the turbine.
- The lubricant must enter the drive air line of your dental instruments to ensure the turbine is properly lubricated. You may download our maintenance brochure for complete information on how to lubricate your handpieces.
If you follow the strategies outlined in this guide, you will find that your dental instruments will operate efficiently, appropriately, and will last for an extremely long time.
If you would like to have your dental handpieces repaired, we here at Hughes Dental are standing by to assist you.
For information about our services, visit our
