Top Reasons Handpieces Fail
Handpieces rarely come in for repair because of a manufacturer defect. Most repairs are a direct result of misuse and improper maintenance procedures.
- Disinfectants, such as Cavicide, are highly corrosive and should never be used on dental handpieces.
- Handpieces should be allowed to completely dry after sterilization. Never remove them before the dry cycle has fully completed. Handpieces can fail to dry properly if the sterilizer is overloaded. Pouches shouldn’t be stacked or touching when placed in the sterilizer. There also needs to be enough space between each pouch to allow for proper air circulation. If you can see water droplets in the pouch, most likely there is still water inside the handpiece.
Handpieces can be lubed too little, too much, or improperly flushed. Check your handpiece’s IFU for specific lubrication instructions.
- High Speeds handpieces should be lubed and flushed after every use with an aerosol cleaner/lubricant or a maintenance machine. High Speeds spin so fast that when they stop, they can retract oral fluids, including blood and other debris. If not flushed out properly, these debris can get baked inside the handpiece during sterilization and cause premature failure.
- Low Speeds only need to be lubricated and flushed approximately every 5 uses. They should be lubed with a dropper bottle and usually only need 4 or 5 drops. We don’t recommend the use of sprays or lubrication machines for low speeds. Unlike high speeds, they don’t spin fast enough to retract fluids, but they still need to be flushed to remove excess lubricant. Excess lubricant can coagulate and collect debris over time and cause early failure.
- High air pressure can cause the bearings in your handpiece to warp. Most handpieces are built to work at 32-35 PSI. It’s not uncommon to find air pressures set above 50 PSI in offices though. Often the pressure has been turned up to get more torque, when the best solution for this is a higher quality handpiece with a higher wattage.
- Rapid temperature changes can cause bearings and other parts to warp. Do not use water or air to cool handpieces that are still warm or hot from being in the sterilizer.
Physical damage can occur from dropping handpieces or from using anything besides your thumb on a push button chuck. Using the corner of a counter or any other object can put too much force on the chuck.
The button to release a bur should never be pressed until it has completely stopped spinning. If done prematurely the loosened bur can spin and wear down the parts inside the chuck mechanism.
You can get cheap handpieces on eBay, Amazon, or Alibaba. Not only will these not last very long, but most of the handpieces on these sites are not FDA approved.
- Make sure air filters are clean to prevent debris from clogging the air line in the handpiece.
- Make sure your water lines are being shocked on a regular basis to remove biofilm(bacteria). Besides possibly making patients sick, this biofilm can build up and and clog the water lines in your handpiece. We recommend regular water testing and shocking. Water treatments such as tablets, straws, and canisters can slow this build up while protecting your patients.
