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5 Step Handpiece Maintenance

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Remember the best practices for handpiece maintenance using the acronym:

CLEAR

  1. CLEAN handpiece with alcohol and a brush. Tooth brushes are fine. We prefer denture brushes due to the size. Just ensure debris is removed from outside of handpiece which would be baked on by the sterilization process. Once debris is removed, wipe down with paper towel to dry. Never place handpiece under running water.
  2. LUBRICATE handpiece with approved handpiece cleaner/lubricant only. Always place lubricant into air intake hole. Of course, many new handpieces have swivel connectors, and manufacturers have created adapters to ensure lubricant reaches the air intake. In this case, just follow manufacturers instructions.
  3. EVACUATE or expel all lubricant from handpiece by re-attaching handpiece to unit and running long enough to remove excess lubricant and/or debris which may have been lodged inside. This is a good time to explain some handpiece physics. When doctor releases air supply from handpiece to stop operation, a slight vacuum is created inside handpiece head. This slight vacuum tends to pull debris inside. Many handpieces are equipped to help prevent this, but the evacuate step is still very important to ensure no debris is left inside handpiece prior to sterilization. The lack of this step in your maintenance process could be the culprit causing premature turbine failure.
  4. AUTOCLAVE or Sterilize handpiece. Although many new sterilization processes have been developed to provide the necessary infection and disease control, many still use autoclave to describe the process. Regardless of the method you use, ensure equipment is operating properly, and that supporting supplies used are appropriate for the unit. And remember, if using sterilization bags with paper on one side, always place in unit with paper side up to help in heat and moisture removal during the cool down process.
  5. REMOVE handpiece from sterilizer. While this step is obvious for most, it’s importance is in timing. Have someone designated to remove sterilized handpieces immediately following completion of cycle. Even though cycle is complete, the environment inside sterilizer could still be less than ideal. Remember, we are talking about slow, chronic weakening of turbine materials over time.

Of course, we understand this is a lot to remember. That’s why we use the acronym CLEAR to help us remember. The importance is in the process, not in understanding all the why’s. Follow this method and be assured you are doing your best to care for this valuable tool.

We enthusiastically recommend automatic handpiece maintenance/purge units which would, of course, eliminate steps 2 and 3. It’s easy to tell which offices use automatic purge units by how clean the handpiece interior is. We have observed the evolution of these units for the last 20 years. They are effective and efficient, saving time and money. Many dentists will see a dramatic reduction in repair costs.

Handpiece Chuck

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handpiece chuckLube Free does not mean maintenance free. Now that sealed ceramic bearings and lube free handpieces are becoming more prevalent, we see more handpieces come in due to chuck not retaining bur properly. See the button in the picture above? That’s typically the culprit. In a lubricated handpiece, some of the lubricant is expelled through the chuck during maintenance and serves to expel debris and lubricate chuck, keeping it functioning properly. However, in handpieces such as the Star Lube Free 430 swl and Solara which use sealed, pre-greased ceramic bearings, this activity is bypassed.

But what about the handpiece chuck you ask?

Awesome question! Any residue that gets sucked up in the vortex will get baked on in the sterilization process and literally varnish the handpiece chuck, soon limiting functionality and leading to the words you so hate to write “chuck won’t hold bur”. We’ve seen it many times, more so lately with the advent of lube free ceramic bearings.

Check out the following cleaning procedure. And remember, it applies to all handpiece chuck types:

  • High speeds
  • Low speeds
  • Latch Heads
  • Friction Grip
  • Nose cones

Prolong Handpiece Chuck Life

Once A Week – Prior to Autoclave:

  1. Remove bur and spray handpiece chuck with handpiece cleaner/lubricant.handpiece chuck
  2. Use an interproximal brush to remove debris. (if spray can does not have a tip to fit chuck opening, just spray brush prior to inserting it into handpiece chuck. Liquid lube/cleaner works well for this also)
  3. We like to use a handpiece control unit syringe here to spray into chuck and flush out debris.
  4. Repeat if necessary.

Pretty simple, don’t you think? Hey, nobody said this was particle physics. Although, particles may have been the problem.

Star has a  product called Junk-Out Chuck Cleaner which has the cleaner and brush described. Or, if you want, just take a look at DentalHandpieces.com/brushes. I think you might be amused by the brushes we use. We like them because the multiple sizes allow us to clean highspeed, lowspeeds, and anything in between. They also have multiple brands of cleaners which will work well for this application. Just try to find one with the little cone type applicator like the one pictured above.

Doing this on a weekly basis, will prevent buildup and greatly enhance the life and functionality of the handpiece chuck. Every office that uses handpieces should have a regular handpiece chuck maintenance procedure.