| Over the years I have seen many web pages and | | | | already covered two. |
| read many articles on high-speed handpiece | | | | Third, choose your lubricant. Sprays are good but |
| maintenance. Most are very similar, however as I talk | | | | they have a propellant that needs to evaporate |
| to dentists and hygienists I am finding varied | | | | before the lubricant is left. I use an oil pen or syringe. |
| methods of maintenance. It is my intention to offer | | | | For me this is the better way to go because you |
| my experience on handpiece maintenance and | | | | have direct control of your oil. The oil you use should |
| hopefully save you some money. | | | | meet of exceed the manufacturers specifications. If |
| First, always follow your manufacturers | | | | you use a spray, make sure you have the correct |
| recommendations for handpiece maintenance. Make | | | | nozzle. |
| sure your handpiece is used at the proper PSI, usually | | | | If you don't, buy one because you won't be able to |
| between thirty and forty PSI. If you run your | | | | get the oil where it needs to be. Use two or three |
| handpiece at a higher pressure you will certainly cut | | | | blasts of one second each into the air hole. The air |
| the life of your bearings and the chuck. Also running | | | | hole is the smaller one of the two hole system and |
| your handpiece with the burr pulled out to gain extra | | | | the middle one for the three hole system. If you use |
| reach will destroy the chuck and bearings very fast. | | | | an oil pen place three drops into the air hole. Use the |
| Second, wash the outer casing with alcohol or warm | | | | same procedure for the chuck. One shot of spray or |
| water and a soft to medium bristle brush depending | | | | one drop of oil from the oil pen. Work the chuck by |
| on need. Please do not soak the handpiece under | | | | placing a burr in and out making sure the oil is |
| water or in any type of chemical. Do not use an | | | | thoroughly worked in. |
| ultrasonic cleaner unless recommended by the | | | | Also the burr must be clean of contaminant. Hook |
| manufacturer. | | | | the handpiece back up to the air and run at 20 PSI |
| Before we go any further you may want to know a | | | | without the burr for about twenty or thirty seconds |
| little bit about the technical operation of the | | | | over a paper towel. look for the oil to be clear. If not |
| high-speed handpiece and how it collects debris. The | | | | repeat this procedure until it is. Now put in a burr and |
| high-speed handpiece pushes air from the the top | | | | run for forty seconds at normal air pressure and look |
| and bottom of the head. When you let off the air | | | | for contaminate. If the oil is clean it is time to |
| control or rheostat the handpiece will shut down. At | | | | autoclave. |
| this time the handpiece draws in fine particulates of | | | | Fourth, autoclave as normal. Do not stack handpieces |
| dust partials. This is because at the time you let off | | | | in the autoclave. |
| the air the air flow is reversed bringing in tooth dust | | | | Fifth, after you autoclave spray a one second blast |
| and other contaminants. If the debris is not removed | | | | into the air hole and one more into the chuck. One |
| the contaminants will bake into the turbine and inside | | | | drop each for the oil pen. Hook up to air and run for |
| the chuck causing premature failure. | | | | 30 or forty seconds to purge the last of the oil and |
| Based on my experience and conversations with | | | | have a properly running handpiece. |
| various repair professionals there are five basic steps | | | | If you observe these procedures you will save |
| for high-speed handpiece maintenance. We have | | | | hundreds per year on high-speed handpiece repair. |