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A Guide to Air Driven Dental Handpiece Maintenance

In last week’s blog, we discussed the differences between air driven and electric dental handpieces. Understanding these differences is a great first step to prolonging the life of your handpieces. Each type of handpiece operates differently, and therefore requires different maintenance procedures. In this week’s blog, we will give you step-by-step instructions on air driven dental handpiece maintenance. If you follow these simple techniques, you will save money and time in the long run!

Air Driven Dental Handpiece Maintenance Protocol:

Step 1: Surface clean the dental handpiece

Flush water through the handpiece for 30 seconds. The CDC calls for this in order to remove potential contaminants from the handpiece’s internal water line. Then use a brush under running water to remove any debris from the outside of the dental handpiece. It’s best to hold the handpiece upright so that water doesn’t get into the head of the handpiece.

Very important: Do not use chemical solutions while cleaning! Chemicals can interfere with the sterilization process and harm the handpiece.

Step 2: Dry the dental handpiece

This might seem simple, but it is a vital step in the air driven dental handpiece maintenance process. It is especially important if your practice utilizes a chemiclave. Excess water could lead to corrosion inside the handpiece. This will cause major problems down the road.

Step 3: Lubricate the dental handpiece

Spray oil into the drive air line using the proper lubricating tip. To ensure that the bearing have been lubricated, continue spraying until oil comes out of the handpiece head.

Some dentists prefer to use a dropper. To use this method, simply drop two or three drops of oil to the drive air line and then immediately run the handpiece.

Step 4: Run the dental handpiece to expel excess oil

Run the dental handpiece after lubrication to make sure that oil is evenly distributed through the bearing and chuck mechanism. This will also expel excess oil so that you avoid coagulation during the autoclave process. Make sure to install a bug, NOT a bur blank, into the chuck and then turn on the handpiece for 20 seconds. After operating, remove the bur.

Pro-tip: Invest in an air-flush station in the sterilization area to eliminate a return trip to the operatory to run the handpiece. All you need is a connection to compressed air!

Step 5: Clean fiber-optic surfaces:

Very important! Use alcohol and a Q-tip to remove excess oil and gunk from all fiberoptic surfaces. This will prevent buildup and discoloration, ensuring a long life for your dental handpiece!

Step 6: Bag the handpiece:

The CDC recommends that you bag ALL instruments and dental handpieces so that they remain sterile.

Tip: use a combination paper/plastic bag so that steam can evaporate through the paper side while you can still view the contents of the bag.

7. Sterilize:

Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines while autoclaving the dental handpiece. The paper bag should be paper side up in the autoclave.

Important: Allow the sterilizer to completely process through the dry cycle. If there is still dampness after the cycle has completed, leave the instruments in the autoclave until it the bag is completely dry.

We hope that this helps you understand the basic of air driven dental handpiece maintenance. Stay tuned! Next week we’ll be discussing common mistakes people make when maintaining their handpieces.

If you run into any problems with your electric OR air-driven handpieces, First Choice Repair has 25 years in solving problems with dental handpieces. Just contact us, we’d love to help.

Reference: Anatomy of a Handpiece: Understanding Handpiece Maintenance and Repairs by Glen Williams, BS.

Understanding the Differences Between Air-Driven & Electric Dental Handpieces

Behind every great dentist is a great dental handpiece. But as most dentists know, handpieces require a diligent maintenance routine and are prone to break down. The first step in preventing damage to your dental handpiece is gaining an in-depth understanding of how your handpiece operates. Read on to learn more about the history of dental handpieces and the difference between air-driven and electric handpieces. We’ll also let you know how First Choice Repair can help you maintain your handpiece for years to come.

The History of the Dental Handpiece

If you were a dentist in America prior to 1950, you were probably using an electric belt-driven instrument that topped out at a speed of 50,000 RPM. The low rotational speed meant that procedures took longer and were more painful for the patient. There was also the problem of instruments being bulky. They even occasionally got tangled in the hair of whoever was unlucky enough to be nearby. Clearly, a change was needed.

In 1949, Sir John Patrick Walsh of New Zealand received a patent for an air-driven handpiece that would soon revolutionize the industry. By 1957, Dr. John Borden had developed the product in America and it was being manufactured by the DENTSPLY company and distributed with the name Borden Airotor. The “restorative dentistry” that we are so familiar with today was made possible by the increased speed and precision of this new dental technology.

Since the mid-20th century, advancements have been made in both air-driven and electric dental handpieces that allow for easier use by dentists and a more comfortable experience for the patient. Understanding the differences between the two will help you make the right choice for your practice.

Comparing Air-Driven vs. Electric Handpieces

There are advantages and disadvantages to using both electric and air-driven dental handpieces, which we’ll discuss here:

Electric Dental Handpieces	Air-Driven Dental Handpieces
Electric handpieces use a simple electrical supply to power the motor.	High-speed air-driven handpieces use a turbine to rotate the rotary cutting instrument.
They can function from 20 RPM up to 200,000 RPM.	Air-driven high-speed handpieces can function at up to 400,000 RPM, but usually operate between 180,000 to 330,000 RPM.
Because it’s possible to use different speeds, there is more room for versatility. They can be used for high speed and low speed procedures.	High speeds lead to faster cutting and reduced procedure time.
The head of the handpiece can become hot and there have been cases of patient burns.	With more intense procedures, the bur can slow, decreasing cutting performance.
The constant torque results in a better cutting performance.	Changes in design to increase torque speed resulted in increased turbine and head size.

The overall functionality of modern dental handpieces had not changed much until a few years ago. Now, technological developments are allowing for more precision and lighter handpieces. First Choice Repair has a variety of handpieces available for purchase. We are happy to answer your questions to ensure that you get the dental handpiece that works for your needs.

Of course, with any kind of dental handpiece, regular maintenance is critical to ensure longevity. Check out any of these blogs for great tips on how to maintain your handpiece and diagnose any problems:

If you run into any problems with your electric OR air-driven handpieces, First Choice Repair has 25 years of experience that can help solve your problem. Just contact us, we’d love to help.

6 Ways to Build a Profitable Dental Practice

One of the main issues that today’s dental practices face is the fact that dentists rarely have control over when patients will come to you or not. That’s why it’s important to figure out the best ways to build a profitable dental practice while still delivering an excellent patient experience! Listed below are 6 ways to grow the bottom line of your dental practice.

Always Deliver Your Best: Patients need to know one important thing: that you are the most valuable investment they can make at this particular time. Always deliver the best results and work hard. This way you will have happy clients and they will convince others to come to you. “Word of mouth” is by far one of the best marketing methods. In the long run, it will lead to a profitable dental practice.
Patient Surveys: Surveys can be a great tool for both your practice and the customer. Patients can tell you what they want improved. Then, based on the feedback, you can get better results. Everyone wins, and you get to grow the bottom line for your practice.
Add New Services: The more comprehensive services you offer, the higher the chances of growing the bottom line for your practice. Make sure you do research on what services make the most financial sense before offering them. The more services you have, the higher the number of customers you will get. Of course, keep all those services at a stellar quality if you want the best outcome!
Always Look for Ways to Improve Customer Service: Customer service is as important as any other portion of your business. Every staff member in your office has to be customer service focused. Engaging in casual conversation with your patients, along with doing what you say you are going to do, will ultimately have a better outcome in the end. This can lead to a huge spike in referrals and regular appointments.
Hire the Right Staff: You already offer high quality services. But is your staff fully prepared for these type of tasks? The hiring process can pose its own challenges, but in the end you can offer more and better services to your patients.
Embrace Technology: Technology has come a long way from days of the past. One simple way to embrace technology is to give patients options on how they want to be reminded of upcoming appointments. They can be reminded by phone, text, or email, which will allow staff members more time to be doing other tasks.

These are some of the best tips that you can use to build a profitable dental practice. It will not be easy at first. But with the proper attention to detail, the outcome can be very well worth it!

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3 Signs It’s Time to Repair Your Dental Handpiece

Today’s dental handpiece has come a long way from days of the past, but one thing remains the same: dental handpieces are vital to your practice. The care and maintenance of these vital instruments are essential to preserving the life of the handpiece.

The air driven handpiece is still the mainstay within the industry, but electric handpieces are being used more and more as technology advances. The newest technology takes components from both air driven and electric handpieces.

Understanding how to properly clean and maintain these handpieces, as well as their components, will help the clinician achieve optimal results. You should clean your dental handpiece with a soft bristle brush & warm water before autoclaving. This will remove any organic material that might corrode your handpiece. It is not advised to use detergents or soaps. They can destroy the optics, get into the bearings, and weaken the lubrication. All of these things can reduce the life of your dental handpiece.

Recognizing the symptoms of a non-properly working dental handpiece will save your practice time and money in the long run. Here are three of the most common symptoms that your dental handpiece isn’t working properly:

Excessive vibrations: Is your dental handpiece vibrating more than you consider normal? This could be an indication that the bearings within the handpiece are loose. If this is the case, they’ll need to be replaced by a dental handpiece repair specialist. Alternatively, the problem could be caused by a lack of lubrication and, if so, the handpiece should be flushed with oil as directed by the manufacturer.
Reduced revolution speed: Over time, you may find that your handpiece’s rotation speed decreases significantly. This is most likely caused by a fault with the turbine inside, or with several other potential issues. You will need to get this addressed if you want to continue carrying out successful treatments on your patients.
Disturbed rhythm: If your handpiece makes clunking noises and rotates irregularly, this could be a motor or turbine problem. This is often caused by old age or a lack of regular servicing, and you will need to get your motor or turbine replaced. This will ensure consistently smooth revolutions that don’t pose such a risk to the teeth and gums of your patients.

Many methods have been tried over the years to avoid this costly part of dental handpiece maintenance and repair process. There are numerous dental handpiece repair companies that provide a good service, but they are more expensive than “do-it-yourself” methods. Keep in mind that “do-it-yourself” methods involve time, stocking costly parts and equipment and expertise, which often does not work out for a dental practice. It’s a lot of work at the end of the day for anyone in your office.

If you start to notice any of the above symptoms on your dental handpieces, it is important to quickly find a reputable handpiece repair company to help repair your handpieces and keep them running at optimal performance.

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5 Tips to Improve Your Dental Practice Staff

In today’s dental practices, it’s imperative to surround yourself with strong team members. They will be the difference between becoming successful or not. This is why building a strong team is vital in helping your practice meet its full potential. But often, team members aren’t meeting your expectations. Instead of helping your practice flourish, they are holding your practice back. But how do you turn team member(s) into thriving ones who excel in their roles? Here are 5 ways to improve your dental practice staff.

Lead Through Guidance: Someone needs to take the lead. Don’t sit back and expect the office manager or lead assistant to set the expectations for your practice. Every employee needs guidance and direction in order to become successful. Create and present job descriptions outlining clear expectations for each position within your practice. Set aside time each month to have a one-on-one with each employee and offer positive and negative feedback outlining missed opportunities and how to improve.
Take Your Time When Hiring: When the time comes to add a new position or replace an employee, think about what you are looking for within this position and take your time filling it. Most practices take the first qualified person who applies, not thinking how this new hire will affect the existing team members dynamic, or if this hire can be groomed into a future position. Developing and implementing hiring procedures will pay off in the long run. Ask potential candidates to be interviewed by another team members. This will assist in the selection process and open up communication within your team.
Invest in Your Team: The importance of investing in your team can’t be stressed enough. It’s important to invest time in training new, as well as, existing team members when implementing new policies and technology. Proper training will help your team members become more efficient in their roles, and make them more confident in their skills. Happy employees make businesses thrive.
Raises Need to be Earned: Don’t give out raises just because it’s the right thing to do, as this sends a wrong message to your team. Team members need to earn raises, not just receive them because it’s expected. During the review process, set measurable goals and expectations to better determine if a raise should be earned through performance. Set clear expectations so all team members know exactly what it takes to earn a raise. Setting these expectations will motivate team members to excel in their roles.
Call it Like it is: Sometimes great ideas on paper don’t actually work out. When this happens, admit it and ask for input from each team member on what did and didn’t work. Once a mistake has been identified, and a new procedure is in place, the team members can get back on track to becoming a great dental practice staff.

Making the right choices with your dental practice staff isn’t easy. You need a strong team behind you to help you reach your practice’s goals and objectives. Follow these tips and soon your team members will be happier and more efficient as they work towards a common goal.

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4 Ways to Improve the Patient Experience at Your Dental Practice

Don’t take this personally, but most patients don’t enjoy going to the dentist. Many patients have bad childhood memories, know that they could potentially experience pain, and that the visit could be expensive. The goal is to have every patient walk out of your office with a smile on his or her face wanting to spread the news about how great his or her dentist is. So how do you do this knowing the odds are stacked against you? Here are four ways to improve the patient experience at your practice and ensure you will continue to grow your patient base.

Impress Them as Soon as they Walk in the Door: First impressions are everything! Make sure the person sitting at the front desk gives the patients a warm smile and a sincere welcome to your practice. The front desk person should focus on the details by using the patient’s name. This gesture may seem simple, but it is actually a big deal. Studies show by using someone’s name in a sentence, you validate their worth and let them know that you care about them. Engage in a conversation with them and take notes for future visits and conversations. Ask them about their family to show that the pracitce care. This will help ease anxiety and, ultimately, improve the patient experience.
Introduce Everyone: Make sure the office manager, dental hygienist, dental assistant, doctor, and anyone else who will be working with the patient introduces themselves to the patients. Again, using the patient’s name will make him or her feel like they are seeing friends, and new patients will notice and sense a warm atmosphere.
Body Language: Pay attention to your body language when interacting with your patients. Crossed arms, indirect eye contact and turned away shoulders while they are in the treatment chair are all signs that you don’t care about engaging with them. However, direct eye contact and speaking to them directly will show your patients that you care about engaging with them.
Practice the K.I.S.S. Method: Remember, different people process information differently. When speaking to your patients, speak clearly when explaining procedures to them, allowing them to process the information. Sometimes it’s helpful to leave the room for a few minutes. This will give them time to process the information and to think of any questions or concerns they might have. Overcomplicating the explanation by rambling on and on will only cause more anxiety.

Every practice can benefit from taking a few minutes to look at their patients’ own experience. Whether you have a little or a lot to work on, it’s worth taking the time to improve the patient experience. A little effort to improving your patient satisfaction could be the key to growing and improving your practice.

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5 Ways to Reduce Cancellations and No-Shows at Your Dental Practice

Let’s face it, every dental practice will have appointment cancellations and no-shows. But how you and your staff plan to reduce cancellations and no-shows can be the difference between a good profit year and a GREAT profit year. Even in strong economic times, appointment cancellations and no-shows will happen.

If not addressed properly, cancellations and no-shows can add up to big revenue losses, estimates pointing to an average of $40,000 to $60,000 per year. And that doesn’t reflect the dollars lost in production when the dentist never has the opportunity to diagnose and perform. Here are 5 ways to help reduce cancellations and no-shows at your dental practice.

Educate your Patients: Often patients have no idea the havoc their cancellations or no-shows cause on the entire dental office. In fact, it has been estimated that a little more than 25% of patients routinely cancel appointments. This is a result of dental practices not educating them on what their cancellations or no-shows do to the overall dental practice flow. But be patient with your patients, because they do not intentionally what to disrupt your day. They have very busy lives and when something needs to give, the dental appointment is usually first thing to cancel. However, take control by educating them on the impact their cancellation or no show has on the schedule, and pointing out the office cancellation policy to help reduce cancellations.
Make It Personal: Confirmation calls are a must for every scheduled appointment. But don’t rely solely on the phone, as times are changing and today we have more than one way to communicate with patients. Ask your patient how they would like to be reminded of their next appointment, by phone, email, or text. In fact, studies show most people like to be reminded of upcoming appointments by text or e-mail. Additionally, your office is more likely to get a prompt response from patients if you communicate via text or e-mail. Patients should be notified 48 hours in advance of their appointments. If your patients prefer to be contacted via phone, adjust the schedule of the employee assigned to making phone calls to help accommodate when your patients want to be called. If you are going to make the effort to make the call, make it as effective as possible. Try to speak directly with the patient, don’t just leave a message, because this is not effective and will increase your cancellation or no-show rate.
Fill No-Shows Fast: A computerized scheduling software system is essential if a practice wants to fill cancellations quickly and efficiently, as well as completely manage the entire office scheduling. These software packages offer practices the ability to maintain lists of patients interested in coming in sooner for their appointments. When a cancellation occurs, the software package retains the appointment information. It then scans for available patient information to try and fill the open appointment.
Follow-Up with No-Shows: No-shows are the worst. Make it a standard operating procedure to follow-up with no-shows by calling every patient who cancels, doesn’t show up or doesn’t reschedule. Contact no-shows within 10 minutes of their missed appointment and express genuine concern for their missed appointment.
Don’t Point Fingers: When a cancellation or no-show occurs, dental offices typically point the finger at the front desk employee for not maintaining a full working schedule. But in order to minimize cancellations and no-shows, every employee needs to be urging patients to keep their appointments. Actually, curbing cancellations and no-shows begins at chairside. Once the dental appointment is completed, it’s the clinician’s responsibility to schedule the follow-up appointment. It is essential that the clinician emphasize the value of regular dental visit. Explain to your patients the importance of keeping their appointments.

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3 Tips to Improve the Performance of Dental Handpieces

A dental practice today can be a busy and demanding place. The dental handpiece is the workhorse of any dental practice. It is a precision instrument designed to bring years of service to the practice when properly cared for. Proper care includes following the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning, lubricating and autoclaving your dental handpiece. Listed below are a few tips to improve the performance of dental handpieces.

Air Pressure: You should not exceed 35 PSI for high speed and 45 PSI for low speed handpieces. Increasing the air pressure will not improve the performance of dental handpieces, and will cause damage to the turbine and the overall performance.
Cleaning is Essential: Handpiece manufacturers recommend that all dental handpieces be cleaned before sterilization. This includes low speed or prophy handpieces to straight attachments/nosecones, contra angles attachments and heads. It’s important to use a mild germicidal detergent or handpiece cleaner, which are both available in today’s marketplace. You should also use a soft brush or cloth to clean the exterior shell of the instrument that focuses on the handpiece head, grip and lower threads. Don’t forget to always remove the bur of any handpiece before sterilization.
Lubricate Before Sterilization: You should always lubricate your handpieces prior to sterilization. Once lubricated, it is important to connect the handpiece to an air supply and operate for 30 seconds to expel all excess lubricant. You must wipe all excess lubricant with a soft cloth. Make sure to detach the nosecone, contra angles, and heads and lubricate separately.

Are you looking for an experienced and professional dental handpiece repair technician?

If you’re looking for a company to partner with to help repair and extend the life of your dental handpieces, contact First Choice Repair for a new customer coupon. Save $50 on your first dental handpiece repair order!

Dental Handpiece Sterilization Guidelines

In today’s dental practice, the need for infection control has never been more important. In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that dental handpieces can be contaminated internally with patient material and that proper steps in regards to sterilization must be performed after each patient. To help your practice with its dental handpiece sterilization process, we have put together the following guidelines:

Transport the Instruments: The used or contaminated instruments should be transported to the sterilization area with minimal exposure to other staff members and/or patients. Once the contaminated instruments are finished being used in the operatory, they should be placed in a sealed container. The clinician who is transporting should be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
Wipe External Surfaces and Remove Burs: You should always wipe the external surface of the handpiece to remove any debris. The bur should also be removed from each handpiece and should be properly cleaned and sterilized per the bur manufacturer’s requirements. Handpieces should never be sterilized with the bur in the chuck.
Rinse and Dry the Instruments: Rinse the handpiece in clean water and allow the handpiece to be completely dry before packaging in the sterilization pouches. Each handpiece manufacture has specific protocols for cleaning their handpieces, so it is best to follow their recommended guidelines.
Pouch or Wrap the Instruments: All instruments to be sterilized should be packaged in pouches or wraps during the sterilization process. There are a variety of package options to choose from depending on the practices needs.
Sterilize the Instruments: There are a wide variety of different sterilization methods available today. The most popular is “Autoclaving” or moist heat under pressure. To obtain optimal proficiency within the autoclave unit, temperatures need to reach 275 degrees and tested weekly. A properly working autoclaving unit will ensure all of your instruments are free of infectious and contaminated material. The autoclave unit should always run through the complete cycle. Refer to the manufactures manual for proper autoclaving procedures.
Cool the Instruments Off Before Use: Never use a handpiece that hasn’t completely cooled off. Running a handpiece under cool water can warp the turbine, and using the handpiece while still warm will cause stress to the turbine. Always allow the handpiece to completely cool down to room temperature before using.

We hope this helped you understand more about dental handpiece sterilization!

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Dental Handpiece Maintenance

Dental handpieces have come a long way from what they used to be. Dental handpieces are the backbone of any dental practice and quite a large investment, so keeping them properly maintained is critical for having a pleasant and efficient dental office. Unfortunately, insufficient maintenance is a leading cause of premature failure to dental handpieces. To help you with your dental handpiece maintenance, we have put together the following list of do’s and don’ts.

Do’s for Dental Handpiece Maintenance:

Do use warm tap water to scrub the exterior of the handpiece. Using harsh chemicals may cause a chemical reaction to the exterior of the handpiece.
Do expel excess lubricant from the handpiece by running it for 5 seconds after cleaning and lubricating (failure to do this may cause excess build up within the handpiece and compromise the turbine integrity).
Do use lubricant before and after sterilliazation to prevent contamination.
Do clean both ends of the fiberoptics bundle with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol.
Do use proper autoclave bags especially designed for autoclaving.

Don’ts for Dental Handpiece Maintenance :

Don’t immerse the handpiece in water or chemical disinfectants. This will compromise the integrity of the turbine assembly.
Don’t sterilize the handpiece with the bur inserted. Leaving the bur in place during sterilization will affect the autochuck assembly by causing slipping burs.
Don’t exceed 275 degrees in the autoclaving process. Exceeding 275 degrees in the autoclave process will put excess pressure on the turbine assembly.
Don’t use the handpiece until it cools completely to ambient room temperature.
Don’t try to run the handpiece under cool water to hurry this step, it may affect the performance of the handpiece.
Don’t operate the handpiece without the bur inserted into autochuck. Never run the handpiece without the bur, this will affect the concentricity of the turbine.

We hope that this helped you understand more about dental handpiece maintenance!

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