Understanding dental handpiece maintenance, care and cleaning is crucial. Decon Pete gives a step-by-step guide for the correct cleaning and sterilisation process and explains why it’s so important.
Dental handpieces are a huge investment for any practice, so it is incredibly important that we understand how to maintain and care for them correctly. That means following the instructions from the handpiece manufacturer, the reprocessing equipment manufacturer and the relevant guidance for the part of the UK in which you work.
A handpiece may have limited contact with the oral cavity, but that does not remove the risk of contamination passing from one patient to another. At the very high rotational speeds produced by modern turbines, fluids and fine debris can be drawn into the head, chuck, bearings, gearing and internal air and water channels. Saliva, blood and dentinal debris left behind can present an infection prevention risk and can also contribute to blocked spray channels, poor bur retention, noise, overheating, corrosion and premature failure.
To put the speed into context, a turbine handpiece, driven by air pressure, can rotate at around 360,000 to 400,000+ rpm. At that speed, correct cleaning and lubrication are not optional extras. Small amounts of debris, old oil or friction can affect balance and performance and, over time, may lead to wobble, wear and expensive repairs. Preventive care after every patient is usually far more economical than dealing with failure once appointments are affected.
Sign in to continue reading
Free access to our premium content:
- Clinical content
- In-depth analysis
- Features, reports, videos and more
By joining, you’re helping to support independent, quality journalism that keeps dental professionals informed and empowered – and allowing us to keep delivering the insights you value most.
