Just what is so good about NSK’s Ti-Max Z Series turbines? Implant surgeons Alex Jones and Andy Legg from The Campbell Clinic, Nottingham, have the answers.
Alex Jones and Andy Legg’s work at The Campbell Clinic is restorative and implant-based, undertaking complex restorative cases, anterior aesthetic cases and full mouth rehabilitation cases, as well as doing accessory restorative work around implants including crowns and veneers.
As long-time users of NSK handpieces, Alex and Andy’s first impressions of the new high performance Ti-Max Z990L and Z890L turbines were they were comfortable to use with less vibration, excellent ergonomics and a notable improvement in torque compared to previous models.
‘An increasing amount of the work we are getting now at The Campbell Clinic is replacing crowns that have been done elsewhere, both here in the UK and abroad. These are generally made out of zirconia, which is an incredibly hard material and therefore a difficult and time-consuming material to remove. The improved speed and torque of the Ti-Max Z turbines means you can cut through and remove zirconia crowns far more easily.’
Alex Jones
Increased power
As well as cutting hard materials such as zirconia, the increased power of the Ti-Max Z turbines brings other additional benefits.
‘The increased power reduces treatment time and therefore heat production, so you’re less likely to “cook” the teeth and cause pulp death. The volume of cases coming through that require retreatment is only going up, not just as a result of dental tourism but also as a result of younger people especially, choosing to have cosmetic dental work.’
Andy Legg
There is a notable trend at the moment for people to have straight white teeth using composite bonding. Andy knows from experience that at some point composite bonding will fail, wear or stain so badly it will need replacing. By using handpieces with high torque and high power there is less need to “lean” on the materials so much.
‘If you don’t have to do that, you are not increasing heat and therefore the chance of complications goes down,’ he says.
Smaller head size
The Ti-Max Z890L features a smaller head size, which is particularly beneficial for patients with limited opening and in hard to reach areas of the mouth.
‘When you’re prepping teeth towards the back of the mouth, sometimes you haven’t got as much height when you have a longer bur on the handpieces,’ says Alex. ‘The smaller head of the Z890L gives you a couple of millimetres more space that allows you to improve the preparation and not have to worry so much about how to get the handpiece into the right position to prepare a certain part of the tooth.’
Improved 100˚ angled head
A great deal of attention has been paid to the design and choice of materials in the construction of the new turbines to ensure clinicians have a supremely comfortable working experience.
The improved 100˚ angled head is designed to follow the natural physiological curves of the dentition, enabling easier access and visibility while providing high torque cutting for efficient treatment in all areas of the mouth.
Andy says: ‘There’s a noticeable smooth transition from the grip through to the head. It’s not as angular as the rear venting turbine that you might use for oral surgery, it increases accessibility and I think it’s a good balance.’
Alex added: ‘The angulation allows you to be able to stand up and lock your wrist and elbow when you’re preparing a tooth to make sure you get the right degree of taper to give a retentive preparation at the end of the treatment.’
Meeting expectations
NSK continues to push boundaries across all dental disciplines and strives to make life easier for every clinician. By combining power, performance, safety, comfort and usability, this new generation of turbines brings genuine innovation to confront the real needs and expectations of clinicians who are striving to deliver the best treatment outcomes for their patients.
‘The Ti-Max Z990L and Z890L more than met my expectations, but my expectation with NSK is that I’m always going to get a handpiece that works and does the job,’ says Andy. ‘I think they’re a big step up from the previous generation and I would highly recommend them. What you want is reliability, something that’s smooth and doesn’t cause the patient a problem. I think NSK ticks all those boxes.’
‘Like all NSK handpieces, they are a good, solid product and the build quality is exceptional,’ says Alex. ‘NSK is a really great company to work with and The Campbell Clinic has been working with NSK for a very long time. The service and support we receive is truly outstanding, not just with equipment for our education courses, but also with respect to just day-to-day dentistry. They are an exceptional company.’
For more details on Ti-Max Z series turbines visit www.uk.nsk-dental.com/products/turbines/turbines-ti-max_z990_z890/.
Contact your local NSK product specialist at mynsk.co.uk/product-specialists/.
Details of upcoming course at The Campbell Academy can be found at www.campbellacademy.co.uk.
This article is sponsored by NSK.
