Dental HandPieces :
Dental HandPieces are the high-speed tools used to drill or carry out various dental procedures such as treating tooth decay or tooth cleaning. It is also used to shape the tooth before the insertion of a filling or a crown.
Types of HandPieces:
HandPieces are of two types based on their speed, i.e High-Speed HandPieces, and Low-Speed Handpieces.
Generally, High-Speed HandPieces can rotate up to 4,00,000 rpm and are attached to hard alloy bits known as burs.
Whereas, Low-Speed HandPieces rotate for about 80,000 rpm and are operated by an inbuilt motor.
Handpieces are then sub-divided into two other categories like Electric Handpieces and Airotor Handpieces.
Electric Handpieces have an electric motor inside the handpiece. It has the entire system inside it.
Airotor Handpieces are the ones which have air-driven turbines inside the handpieces which creates the rotation of the handpiece head.
Airotor HandPieces:
Airotor Handpieces comes in varieties, such as :
- Key Type Handpieces
- Push Button with LED Handpieces
- Push Button without LED Handpieces
- Small-Head Handpieces
- Standard-Head Handpieces
Airotor Handpieces are the ones that are made up of the turbines and the air pressure makes the turbine rotate. The rotors have an impeller powered by compressed air. The perks of turbine rotors are they are simple and have a robust structure. These dental rotors are light weighted and the cost of the handpieces also has a lower note as compared to other handpieces.
In Key Type Handpieces the spindle and chuck are separate. The chuck is used to insert and remove the burs.
In Push Button Handpieces are spindle and chuck single assembly and a push-button cap on the handpiece head is used to open or close the chucking mechanism.
The Head of the handpieces also plays a vital role in order to carry out dental procedures. The smaller the head the more clear visibility to the treatment site. For the handpieces not only the head that is important rather the working height (Head+Bur) of the handpieces should also be taken into consideration. However, the small size of the head does not affect the speed of the handpieces.
The standard Head has a larger turbine impeller with high torque and low power input. The standard head has more cutting power, hence less time taken for the dental procedures.
Airotor Handpieces are durable and have less noise. It also comes with great accessibility and grip. It reduces users’ fatigue. Speed reduction and change of frequency help the dentist to know exactly what they do when the bur touched the tooth. Airotor Handpieces comes with higher milling efficiency.
Electric Handpieces:
Contra-Angle HandPieces and Straight HandPieces are two varieties of Electric HandPieces.
Electric Handpieces have an electric motor inside the handpieces to make it rotate and for the cutting motions of the burs. The motor makes the handpiece heavy and needs an experienced practitioner.
The electric handpieces have a consistent speed as a result of which they tend to provide a smooth and more precise cutting edge.
The fixed speed of the handpiece helps with high flexibility in preparation. Some electric handpieces have control over the torque when the speed is minimum, for endo procedures.
The contra-angle handpieces have excelled in the new standard of ergonomics, weight, and performance for electric handpieces. These are cost-effective handpieces with powerful cutting. The contra-angle handpieces help in preventing the flow of fluids into the head of the handpieces, hence prolonging the lifespan of the handpiece. The super-slim neck and ultra mini head give the best visibility for the working site.
The straight handpieces have a slim body design with superior visibility to hard to reach areas due to the mini head. It has a perfect balance and a firm grip at the handle.
Endomotor Implant Handpieces are equipped with smart memorizing power of tracking the speed and the torque settings. Few of the endomotors also have auto-reverse functions with rechargeable battery backups.
The endomotor implant handpieces are a combo of both airotor and electric handpieces.
As the cost of the dental handpieces are quite high because of which it is necessary to choose wisely on which handpiece one opts. NSK and Shail Dental have a huge array of handpieces with a variety of options for the reference.