What really happens inside a dental handpiece – and are practices doing enough to clean, sterilise and maintain them?
In the first episode of Aura Infection Control’s brand-new podcast series with Dentistry, a panel of decontamination experts explores the secret life of a dental handpiece.
Handpieces are used every day in dental practices, but how much do teams really know about what happens inside them?
The conversation starts with the role handpieces play in clinical care – and why these essential pieces of equipment can sometimes be overlooked.
‘They’re the backbone of a lot of what [dental professionals] do, and they couldn’t do their job without them,’ says Nicola Muirhead, NSK product specialist.
The panel discusses gaps in training and the effect that high staff turnover can have on handpiece care. Knowledge is often passed informally from one team member to another, meaning processes can vary within the same practice.
One of the key points raised is the difference between a handpiece looking clean and actually being clean. Contamination may be drawn into its internal channels during treatment, where it cannot be seen.
As Gary Stephenson, NSK technical operations manager, puts it: ‘Just because it looks clean, it doesn’t mean it is’.
Cleaning versus sterilisation
The episode goes on to look at the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation. The panel explains why wiping the outside of a handpiece and applying oil is not a complete decontamination process.
‘You can’t sterilise a dirty surface,’ says Laura Edgar, Aura Infection Control managing director, highlighting the need to clean and disinfect the inside of the handpiece before sterilisation.
Vacuum and non-vacuum autoclaves are also discussed, including how trapped air can prevent steam from reaching a handpiece’s internal channels. The panel considers what this means for sterility, equipment life and the cost of repairs.
Time, space and limited equipment can all make effective decontamination more difficult. However, the speakers explore a range of possible approaches, from manual methods to washer-disinfectors and automated systems. Whichever process a practice chooses, the main message is that it must be suitable for the equipment and followed consistently.
‘It doesn’t matter if you’re a patient on a Wednesday or a Friday or Monday morning after a hard weekend,’ says Laura. ‘Patients should always receive the same standard of care.’
Topics explored include:
- Why handpieces are often underestimated
- What can happen inside a handpiece during treatment
- The difference between clean and sterile
- Vacuum versus non-vacuum autoclaves
- Manual and automated decontamination methods
- How maintenance can affect repairs and equipment life
- Training, teamwork and responsibility
- Why consistency is central to effective handpiece care.
Watch the full video here.
This article is sponsored by Aura Infection Control.
