| Dental Handpiece Maintenance Guide | | | | Third, choose your lubricant. Sprays are good but |
| I talk to dentists and hygienists I am finding varied | | | | they have a propellant that needs to evaporate |
| methods of dental handpieces maintenance. | | | | before the lubricant is left. I use an oil pen or syringe. |
| It is my intention to offer my experience on dental | | | | For me this is the better way to go because you |
| handpiece maintenance and hopefully save you some | | | | have direct control of your oil. The oil you use should |
| 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 dental high speed handpiece | | | | nozzle. |
| maintenance. Make sure your handpiece is used at | | | | If you don't, buy one because you won't be able to |
| the proper PSI, usually between thirty and forty PSI. | | | | get the oil where it needs to be. Use two or three |
| If you run your handpiece at a higher pressure you | | | | blasts of one second each into the air hole. The air |
| will certainly cut the life of your bearings and the | | | | hole is the smaller one of the two hole system and |
| chuck. Also running your dental autoclave with the | | | | the middle one for the three hole system. Also the |
| burr pulled out to gain extra reach will destroy the | | | | burr must be clean of contaminant. Hook the |
| chuck and bearings very fast. | | | | handpiece back up to the air and run at 20 PSI |
| Second, wash the outer casing with alcohol or warm | | | | without the burr for about twenty or thirty seconds |
| water and a soft to medium bristle brush depending | | | | over a paper towel. look for the oil to be clear. |
| on need. Please do not soak the curing light under | | | | Fourth, autoclave as normal. Do not stack handpieces |
| water or in any type of chemical. Do not use an | | | | in the autoclave. |
| ultrasonic cleaner unless recommended by the | | | | Fifth, after you autoclave spray a one second blast |
| manufacturer. | | | | into the air hole and one more into the chuck. One |
| Before we go any further you may want to know a | | | | drop each for the oil pen. Hook up to air and run for |
| little bit about the technical operation of the | | | | 30 or forty seconds to purge the last of the oil and |
| high-speed handpiece and how it collects debris. | | | | have a properly running handpiece. |
| The high-speed handpiece pushes air from the the | | | | If you observe these procedures you will save |
| top and bottom of the head. | | | | hundreds per year on high-speed handpiece repair. |