Handpiece Repair

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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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 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!

Looking for a 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 us for a new customer coupon. Save $50 on your first dental handpiece repair order!

4 Must-Ask Questions for Your Dental Handpiece Repair Specialist

The dental handpiece is the workhorse of any dental practice. Each practitioner has his or her own preference when it comes to dental handpiece brand, size, speed, and overall feel. But sometimes the “Doc’s” favorite handpiece goes down and needs expert attention. Having a reputable dental handpiece repair specialist on speed dial will help ease the stress in your dental practice.

There are many opinions on what kind of handpiece to initially purchase and how many each practice should have. However, once that decision is made and the manufacturer warranties have passed, who and how do you handle ongoing maintenance and repairs?

Selecting a qualified dental handpiece repair specialist is a very important decision that should not be taken lightly. The dental handpiece repair specialist will be responsible for the overall maintenance and repairs of all of your handpieces. Here are 4 must-ask questions when selecting a dental handpiece repair specialist:

Does the dental handpiece repair specialist provide you FREE estimates upon request? Handpiece repair can be costly, and there is an economical point of no return on certain handpiece repairs. A quality dental handpiece repair specialist should be providing estimates and recommendations on the economical feasibility of the repair. If the repair is more costly then a new replacement, the dental repair specialist should be offering that option.
Does the dental handpiece repair specialist offer a warranty on repairs? Dental handpiece warranties vary by repair specialist. Look for a dental handpiece repair specialist who gives a good solid warranty, stands behind their work and will “do the right thing every time”. Remember, parts break, wear out, and handpieces are expected to perform at very high speeds all day, But asking the warranty question can save your practice money in the long run. Additionally, you should know what the warranty covers and does not cover. If the warranty is too good to be true, then there must be a catch.
Does the dental handpiece repair specialist offer quality customer service? Customer service is very important when selecting a dental handpiece repair specialist. Every customer should feel like they are the biggest account, so if you are not getting a good feeling about who you are dealing with, it is best to consider another repair specialist. Some of the things to consider when selecting a dental handpiece specialist are average turn-around time, the ability to speak with the specialist who is repairing the handpiece and other services the repair specialist can offer.
Does the dental handpiece repair specialist use high-quality parts? When selecting a dental handpiece repair specialist, it’s important to know that quality parts are being used in the repair of your handpiece. Dental handpiece parts are expensive, so if the repair costs are too good to be true, then sub-par parts are probably being used. Additionally, asking how long the dental repair shop has been in business will be a good indicator of what kind of repair shop they are. Look for a dental repair company who has been in business for a while. Your dental handpieces are too important to give to a company who has not been in business very long and is not very reputable.

What’s the Difference Between Dental Handpiece Maintenance and Repair?

Clinicians today are extremely dependent on their dental handpieces to sustain a smooth running practice. Modern day handpieces are a sophisticated combination of precision parts moving in perfect harmony at high speeds. This perfect harmony delivers a smooth and powerful cut that allows the clinician to perform the dental procedure accurately with little discomfort to the patient. Knowing when you should maintain your handpieces versus when you should get your handpieces repaired will ensure less stress on both the clinician and patient. But what is the difference between dental handpiece maintenance and repair?

Maintenance: Understanding the handpiece components and learning how to maintain them properly can help your practice reduce expensive repair costs. The air-driven high speed handpiece has two main components:

the outer shell, which is where air and water passes through
the turbine, which is in the head of the handpiece

It is important to clean the surface of your handpiece after each use, as CDC guidelines call for flushing water through the handpiece for 30 seconds to remove potential contaminants. You should also lubricate the handpiece with the proper lubricant tip to spray into the drive airline. After lubricating the handpiece, it’s important to run the handpiece to make sure you evenly distribute and expel an excess lubricant. Finally, you should sterilize your handpiece by following the manufacturer guidelines and allow the handpiece to completely cool off after sterilization.

Repair: Dental handpiece repair is necessary when your handpiece is not running at optimal speeds during procedures. Repairing the turbine is one of the most common repairs that clinicians will encounter. Before 1992, handpiece sterilization required using a turbine that could last for years and could easily be replaced by a dental team member in an office. Today, due to repeated high heat sterilization, the life of a turbine and all the components are limited, which can make repairs more frequent and costly. A turbine is the only moving part of the dental handpiece and can operate at speeds beyond 400,000 rpm. Due to the high speed, and the effects of sterilization, a turbine can show signs of wearing and eventually need replacement. Proper cleaning and lubrication will extend the handpieces life, but it’s inevitable that the turbine itself will need to be replaced.

If the turbine is the brain of the handpiece, then the bearings are the heart of it. When the bearings wear out, the turbine will no longer rotate, causing it to stall when placed on a tooth. It may also emit a loud high pitched sound or vibration. It’s often said that the handpiece is just a handle to provide a means of controlling the turbine as well as serving as a conduit to drive the turbine and to cool the surface being cut.

If you do start to notice a decrease in the performance of your dental handpieces, it is important to quickly find a reputable handpiece repair company such as First Choice Repair to help repair your handpieces and keep them running at optimal performance.

We hope that this helped you understand the differences between dental handpiece maintenance and repair!

Hire a Professional to Help with Your Dental Handpiece Maintenance and Repair

6 Tips to Make Dental Handpieces Last Longer

Dental handpieces are essential to any practice, so performing daily or weekly maintenance is a cost effective way to ensure they have a long life. A poorly functioning handpiece causes stress for the clinician, a poor experience for the patient, and the potential for lost productivity for the practice. While most dentists and dental hygienists probably believe they know what they need to know to make dental handpieces last longer, data from handpiece technicians paints a different story.

According to these specialists, most of the failure they see could have been prevented through a proper protocol of daily or weekly maintenance that only takes a few minutes. Here are 6 tips to make dental handpieces last longer:

The air pressure should not exceed 35 RPM’s. Increasing the air pressure will not increase handpiece performance and may prove detrimental to the turbine.
The handpiece should be operated only with the bur securely in place.
Do not autoclave the handpiece, nosecone or latchhead with the bur in place.
Remove the bur before sterilizing. There may be corrosive reaction between different metallic surfaces, resulting in damage.
After handpieces and /or components are removed from the autoclave they should be allowed to return to the ambient room temperature before use. Do not use cold water.
Before autoclaving, clean and flush the handpiece. After autoclave, lube and flush.
Cleaner / lubricate is sprayed or dropped ONLY into the DRIVE AIR HOLE which leads to the turbine (see below image).

We hope that this helped you understand ways to make dental handpieces last longer.

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3 Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Dental Handpieces

If you consider all the equipment that is used at a dental practice on a daily basis, the dental handpiece is one of the most valuable instruments used. Maintaining your dental handpieces on a consistent basis can lead to an improvement in their performance, which means less down time, lower overall repair costs and more patient comfort. Here are three ways to improve the performance of your dental handpieces.

Always Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions: The manufacturer’s instruction manual provides important information regarding daily and weekly maintenance and correct RPM’s. Dental handpieces should run anywhere between 30 – 40 RPM’s, so if you start to exceed 40 RPM’s, you will definitely damage the turbine and autochuck.
Always Clean Your Dental Handpieces After Each Use: Referring to the manufacturer’s instruction manual will give you best cleaning instructions for your handpieces. Be sure to clean the outer shell with warm water or alcohol wipes to remove any extremal debris before sterilization. Also, never submerge your handpieces or use harsh cleaning liquids, as this can lead to chemical interaction during sterilization, which can reduce the life of your handpieces.
Always Properly Lubricate Your Dental Handpieces Before Sterilization: Remember to remove the bur during maintenance so that you can properly purge and expel any debris from your handpieces. Also, make sure you are using the right lubricant spray adapter for your handpiece connection types. If your handpiece has a fixed back, make sure the lubricate spray goes in the drive port (smaller of the two holes).

If you start to notice a decrease in the performance of your dental handpieces, it is important to contact First Choice Repair to help repair your handpieces and keep them running at optimal performance.

How Often Should I Get My Dental Handpieces Repaired?

That is the “million-dollar question” most dentists ask, but unfortunately, there isn’t an easy way to answer. Most dental practices have anywhere from 8 to 12 working handpieces that get rotated throughput the practice on a daily and weekly basis. But we all have our “favorites” and tend to use them more often than others, because it’s human nature to use what we are most comfortable with. If you tend to use your “favorite” handpieces at higher RPM’s than what is suggested by the manufacturer, and ignore the daily and weekly maintenance, then those handpieces will need to be repaired more often.

Dental handpieces are the workhorse of any dental practice, so scheduling daily or weekly maintenance is essential to keeping these workhorses in proper working condition. Following the manufacturer’s recommended daily maintenance and speed intervals will extend the life of your handpieces. In addition, you will need to schedule routine maintenance or “tune-ups” to ensure proper performance.

Since a high-speed handpiece drill runs at 400,000 to 500,000 RPI’s, and is sterilized at 275 degrees after each use, its parts tend to wear out. The turbine is the only moving part in an air-driven handpiece, and takes the most abuse during sterilization, so it needs to be replaced frequently. Replacing the turbine usually includes replacing the spindle, autochuck, impeller, bearings, and o-rings, as well as cleaning, lubricating and testing to the manufacture’s specifications. Replacement usually happens when you start to notice a decrease in performance, such as a wobbly bur or a reduction in speed. However, performing a thorough inspection of your handpiece could reveal that only certain parts need to be replaced.

If you start to notice a decrease in the performance of your dental handpiece, it is important to quickly find a reputable handpiece repair company to help protect your investment, minimize your handpiece downtime and keep your handpiece running at optimal performance.

Four Advantages to Repairing Your Dental Handpieces

Dental handpieces have come a long way since the start of dentistry in 700bc, and they continue play a vital role in any dental practice today. Care and regular maintenance of these instruments is essential to preserving their lifespan and proper function. Whether your dental practice uses air driven handpieces, electric handpieces, or both, these little instruments are the workhorse of your practice and a large investment. So it only makes good business sense to have them regularly checked and maintained. Here are four advantages to repairing your dental handpieces:

Maintaining Proper Performance: Before sterilization was required by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2008, turbines lasted for years and very little maintenance was required to keep handpieces running at optimum performance. But today, daily sterilization takes a toll on the overall performance of handpieces, especially the turbines. In air driven handpieces, the turbine is the only moving part and, when in proper working order, can exceed 400,000 rpms. When the handpieces run at these high speeds, they have to be sterilized so that the turbine doesn’t break down causing the handpiece to run sluggish. Maintaining proper cleaning and lubrication will extend the life, but it’s inevitable the turbine will need to be replaced to ensure proper handpiece performance.
Effective and Efficient Patient Treatment: If the turbine is the brains of the handpiece, then the tiny little bearings are the heart. When the bearings start to wear down, the turbine no longer rotates at optimal performance, causing it to fail and eventually stop holding the bur in place during a procedure. When the bearings start to fail, the handpiece makes a loud high pitch sound or vibration. Avoiding the warning signs of an inferior performing handpiece has a number of pitfalls, including loss of patient treatment. Having your handpieces checked out by a qualified repair technician on a regular schedule will ensure proper handpiece performance and lack of handpiece down time.
Patients Satisfaction: Dental handpieces are the number one tool in any successful dental practice, allowing for a high degree of productivity that patients appreciate today. The history of dental handpieces have drastically evolved over the last 150 years. Early handpieces were big and clunky, running at a maximum speed of 3000 rpm’s, which meant procedures took longer and were more painful. Today, handpieces run at a much higher speed and with more efficiency. Patients today have much busier lives and expect dental procedures to be shorter and less painful. Regular maintaince on your handpieces will result in optimal handpiece performance, allowing the patient a more pleasurable experience with more frequent visits.
Protecting your Investment: Protecting your investment and ensuring your dental handpieces are working to the best of their abilities is essential to running a profitable dental practice. Building a working relationship with a reputable dental handpiece repair company will ensure you are working more effectively and providing quality patient care without worrying about the performance of the handpiece.

If you’re looking for a company to partner with to help repair and extend the life of your dental handpieces, we invite you to download our new customer coupon. This will save you $50 on your first dental handpiece repair order!