Electric Handpiece Repairs and Maintenance
By: Mike McQueen
On:
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Electric handpieces offer never-ending torque yet require a high initial and continued maintenance cost.
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Manufacturers replace all internal drive parts regardless the problem, causing excessive repair costs, even if only one bearing or water line seal is bad.
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Independent repair centers can do a minor rebuild that involves replacing just the bearings and water line seals for a much lower cost extending the time before a major rebuild is required.
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Costly Gear Repairs, occur when a handpiece is used after the bearings start to breakdown, therefore the shaft no longer rotates on its correct axis putting gears in a bind and causing rapid wear resulting in handpiece failure and high repair costs.
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Coarse burs also cause damage to gears with excessive vibration which is not a problem in air driven highspeed handpieces because of feathering. But in the electric highspeed the added torque available allows the user to keep the bur in constant contact with the tooth surface. The vibration caused by the coarse bur is transmitted directly back to the bearings causing rapid bearing failure. Therefore eventual gear damage.
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To extend the life of electric handpieces, make sure you have enough drive air pressure used to cool the motor and the attachment. Consult the manufacturer's recommendation for proper PSI settings. We recommend having at least 65 PSI at the dental unit.
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In addition, be sure to use as much Chip Air and Water while the handpiece is in use to cool the bearings within the head prolonging the bearings life span.
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STOP using your electric handpiece as soon as you feel an unusual vibration or unusual noise begin. This could save you hundreds of dollars in repairs.
Minimize your Electric Handpiece Repair Costs by:
- Using fine to medium burs
- Running the manufacturers PSI air settings
- Using as much Chip Air and Water as possible
- Seeking a minor rebuild as soon as there is any problem
Mike McQueen - Dentool in Colorado Springs
