handpiece and the cost of purchasing a quick connect for each
operatory. These styles of handpiece make between-patient
maintenance easier, especially if you have an automated handpiece lubricator. Doctors and staff like them because they are
more convenient and the swivel helps keep the hose out of the
way during use. Lastly, the back end is more durable if dropped
since there are no exposed tubes to get bent or damaged.
Construction material
This may be less of a consideration unless you have an office
with tile flooring or your handpieces are subjected to rough handling. In this case, I would strongly consider a handpiece made
from stainless steel. Some examples are Midwest Tradition and
Star 430.
Titanium has become a buzzword within the last several years.
In my experience, titanium has been more of a benefit to the
handpiece manufacturer’s marketing department than to the
durability of the handpiece. Many handpieces sold as titanium
have a titanium handle and plated brass head or the head (the
most vulnerable part) may be titanium but thin and marginally
more durable than the more common plated brass. The resonant frequency of these handpieces seem to give them a higher,
more pronounced pitch to my ears, however weight is less
with titanium.
Optics
If you are happy with your operatory light and head lamp, this
is a feature you may not want to pay more for (usually at least
$100 per handpiece). Many new handpieces are not offered in
non-optic models. Most handpieces with optics have replaced
fiber optics with glass optic rod. The older fiber optics use a
epoxy binder that yellows over time and is
less durable. Over time, debris thrown off
from procedures degrades the optics like
rock chips in your car’s windshield. Because of this light output degrades over
time (much faster with fiber optics). LED
lighting is the latest, it offers a brighter,
whiter light that does not heat up and does
not degrade. Some models of W&H with
this lighting have had problems with a circuit board inside the handpiece going out,
but these problems seem to have been
resolved with their latest models. Now
there are self-powering LED handpieces
that have a small electric generator inside
the drive air line of the handpiece
that powers the LED. This offers the
advantage of the latest LED lighting
without having to modify your delivery
unit. The longevity of these handpieces is
not yet known.
Chip water spray
Mulitple spray ports have the advantage of more uniform and
finer cooling mist. Unfortunately these smaller ports are susceptible to clogging up. If you use water treatment tablets in
your water supply bottle you should cut the pickup line inside
the bottle so it is at least an inch above the bottom. Doing this
will help keep any undissolved tabs out of the small passages of
your handpieces. You may still need to use distilled water with
these types. Single spray ports rarely clog and are easier to clear
when they do. They do occasionally get out of alignment so they
don’t hit the bur like they should (this can be repaired).
In conclusion, the first consideration in your handpiece purchase decision should be your budget. There are handpieces
over $1,200 that I cannot recommend and ones under $300
that I do. Working within your budget, consider which of the
above features are important to you and weigh their benefits in
your application. Be wary of spending too little – quality and
price are correlated and saving money with the purchase will
usually cost you more in ongoing maintenance.
Todd Prigmore is the owner of Precision Dental
Repair, a Houston-based handpiece repair
company. Precision Dental Repair has provided
onsite, one-hour handpiece repair and instrument sharpening since 2003. Mr. Prigmore has
been trained by many handpiece manufacturers on both air and electrics. He has been a
guest speaker for the GHDS and regularly
instructs and assists other handpiece repair
technicians in Houston as well as across the
US and Canada. You can learn more at
www.PrecisionDentalRepair.com.
www.houstondentistrymagazine.com
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