The dental handpiece is one of the most important tools that a dentist will use in their daily practice.

Within your practice you may find that not everyone on your team of Staff knows how to best maintain the dental handpieces. There are some common mistakes that some dentists and assistants make that shorten the lifespan of these valuable instruments.

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1. Dropping the Handpiece 

The dental handpiece is fragile. If you drop the handpiece on the floor, miss putting the handpiece back into its holder on the chair unit or knock it against other hard surfaces, it will cause permanent damage. 

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2. Immersing the Handpiece in Any Liquid to Clean It 

Your handpiece should never be immersed into any fluids or placed into an ultra-sonic cleaner. Doing so may cause corrosion inside the handpiece. 

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3. Using a Damaged or Uncertified Bur 

Using a non-ISO standard bur can damage your handpiece, which can jeopardise the safety of your patients.

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4. Using Low-Quality Lubricants 

With the proper care of lubrication regularly, you can maximise the lifespan of your handpieces while reducing unnecessary repairs and replacements. As lubrication is an essential part of handpieces care and basic maintenance, you should use high-quality lubricants that handpiece manufacturers recommend. This will also help you to get the best performance possible out of your handpiece. We recommend using NSK Pana Plus spray lubricant as this contains both a cleaning solution and lubricating agent.

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5. Not Inserting the Bur Properly Into the Chuck 

If the bur isn’t inserted correctly into the chuck, your handpiece may not work smoothly or it may fall out in use. To insert correctly push the bur in the chuck as far as it will go. Then push the button of the back cap, making sure you thumb is flush with the centre of the button. This will open the chuck and you should then be able to push the bur in at least another 5mm or so. When you release your thumb it lets the chuck grip the bur.
If the bur comes straight out then you have either not inserted it correctly, or there is an issue with the chuck or push button back cap.

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6. Using the Handpiece if it Makes Odd or High-Pitched Noises or Vibrates

Do not operate the handpiece when you hear an unusual noise coming from it or if it vibrates during use. The noise and vibration could mean a loose internal component such as bearings, or unexpected malfunction. It is always better to be safe than sorry. 

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7. Sterilising Handpiece With the Bur Inserted in the Autoclave

Remember to remove the bur and release chuck levers before autoclaving. The springs in the chuck are under pressure when the bur is held. The compressed springs and levers during the sterilisation heating may weaken them and cause damage to your handpiece. 

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8. Using Non-TGA Listed/Counterfeit Brands and Models.
We see many counterfeit handpieces copying good quality brands that, to the untrained eye, look exactly like a Kavo or NSK, but the extremely cheap price you may have bought it for, the sales outlet and country from which it came, along with irregularities in print font and positioning of it, and poor quality internal parts make it obvious it’s not.
If you are knowingly using any counterfeit handpieces like this and you experience a mechanical failure which eventuates in the patient becoming injured (which is likely to occur in due course) then you’re livelihood is at risk too.

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To maximise your investment, every little detail on proper operation and maintenance can help you save more money and stay optimal performance each time while you use dental handpieces. Avoid the mistakes mentioned earlier to ensure that they operate smoothly and last longer. This valuable piece of equipment can pay for itself many times over, especially if it does not need frequent repair or replacement. Therefore, it is more than worth taking the time and effort to learn how to keep it maintained to benefit you for as long as possible.