The dos and don’ts when maintaining your dental handpieces
Here are some helpful tips to maximize the life of your dental handpiece.
Do not use dental handpieces for any other purpose than the one they are designed for.
If you have questions regarding the below information, make sure to contact The Dental Handpiece Repair Guy at 800-569-5245.
Each instrument needs to be properly cleaned before sterilization commences; if they are exposed to high temperatures before being cleaned and rinsed, permanent staining can occur.
Abrasive cleaners should never be used to clean dental handpieces; use a soft brush and rinse with distilled water. If an ultrasonic unit or thermo-disinfector is used, care needs to be taken to ensure that chemicals and cleaning agents do not damage the subsurface.
Cleansers should be a non-corrosive, neutral agent that keep foaming to a minimum, and then disinfected using a phenol free solution for optimal maintenance.
After sterilization, equipment needs to be examined for any remaining debris or deposits otherwise it can transfer to dental handpieces and cause corrosion.
Do not place dental handpieces made from different metals together when cleaning or sterilizing; this can cause etching and corrosion on the surface of the instrument.
Distilled or de-mineralized water are the only ones that should be used on dental handpieces to avoid permanent staining.
Proper drying of handpieces is essential to avoid rust or corrosion.
Handpiece engraving is not recommended as it enables oxidization and corrosion.