Mark Pitts, technical services manager of KaVo UK & Ireland, spells out the advantages of choosing to repair your handpieces with a manufacturer’s spare parts instead of generics.
Quality always pays
We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘buy cheap, buy twice’. However we often forget this applies to the smaller things we buy too.
You may have invested in good quality handpieces. But when it comes to their yearly or ad-hoc maintenance, it’s easy to forget that you should only be using manufacturers’ original spare parts. It’s easy to go with what appears to be the cheapest and quickest fix. However, if you don’t replace parts with the manufacturer’s original approved parts, the quality and performance of your handpiece is automatically compromised.
What’s more, the handpiece will no longer be recognised as a manufacturer’s own item. Any warranty becomes invalid and responsibility for the handpiece’s performance rests solely with the user.
Time is of the essence
Just the thought of planning a yearly service for your instruments can add inconvenience and cost to your to-do list. However, it can also save you time, money and hassle in the long term.
Getting your instruments checked and serviced by an approved professional once a year ensures that there are no accidents waiting to happen. It assures you of continued best performance, time and time again.
Choosing to replace parts with manufacturer’s original spare parts means that your instrument remains exactly as it was designed and produced in the first place. Each part running like clockwork in conjunction with every other part.
The devil in the detail
A manufacturer’s original parts have been designed and made to optimise the performance, safety and reliability of your instruments. None of which you would be willing to compromise, given the choice.
When it comes to replacing parts of a handpiece (be it a cartridge, ball bearing or even just an ‘o’ ring) with anything other than the manufacturer’s original parts, usually this is a choice made on price. However, cheaper parts are manufactured more cheaply in the first place and not to the same standards.
The warranty on the generic spare part is also likely to be less than the warranty on manufacturer’s original spare part. The costs are not directly comparable.
Today’s best dental handpieces are produced with such precision that there is no margin for error. Any deviations to the fit or measurement of any of the parts – even in fractions of a millimetre – can adversely affect the instrument’s ability to perform safely and securely. This is what you’re paying for with an original spare part repair. It is also why the warranty on those parts is longer.
As Mark says: ‘Just like a car, a dental handpiece these days is a high-grade machine, built using advanced technology and carefully honed parts. Those parts need to work together so you can continue to rely on the instrument you’re using.’
It’s unlikely you’d take your Mercedes or BMW into any other garage for servicing and repairs with generic spare parts. So why do it to your dental handpieces?
Chain reaction
Any sophisticated piece of equipment with multiple components has been designed so that each of those components work with each other to optimum effect. It’s like a carefully crafted chain and each link has a bearing on the next.
Of course, this includes not just the outer casing and the internal parts of equipment but also the consumable items needed to keep the system operating. For example, the lubicating oil or spray that you use for maintenance. As well as the equipment used in the maintenance process itself. Choosing the best quality at each stage of the process means you’ll never compromise on performance.
As manufacturers, it’s up to us to design and manufacture a chain where the links perform to the highest standards in conjunction with each other. That way, you get a piece of equipment that works perfectly, again and again and again.
KaVo are delighted to be working with carefully selected UK repair houses to provide the very best repair, servicing and maintenance of your KaVo handpieces. For more details on the special offers available, please contact us directly for more details at [email protected].
