Handpiece Maintenance Tips

Before Sterilisation:
  • Clean handpiece exterior shell with soapy water to remove any residue and also prevent residue build up on the handpiece shell. Rinse off soap before sterilisation.
  • Never submerge handpieces in cleaner/solvent or place in an ultrasonic tank.
  • Lubricate & Purge handpieces to remove any debris from inside handpiece head.
  • Remove bur from handpiece.
  • Never sterilise with bur in place.
  • When sterilisation complete, remove handpieces and allow to cool.
  • Never leave handpieces in the steriliser overnight.
handpiece in hands
handpieces disambled
After Sterilisation:
  • Allow handpieces to cool to room temperature.
  • Never cool down handpieces under cold water. Rapid cooling can result in thermal shock to turbine components resulting in possible turbine/bearing failure.
  • Lubricate handpieces as per manufacturer specification.
  • Purge any excess lubricant from handpiece.
  • Store handpieces standing upright when not in use. Avoid storing handpieces sitting head down.
Equipment/Handpiece Checks:
  • Regularly check air/water filters. Debris from air lines can cause damage to handpiece turbine/bearings. Recommend quarterly checks.
  • Check sterilisation temperature. 275 °F/135 °C
  • Weekly flushing of turbine chuck will help to prevent debris build up within the chuck mechanism. Debris build up can cause bur retention problems and lead to possible turbine failure.
  • Regularly check handpiece air pressure and adjust in accordance to manufacturer specification.
  • Never run the handpiece without a bur in place.

Want to read even more maintenance tips? Check out our article published in Irish Dentist magazine here.

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