equipment insight
High Speed Decision Making
Choosing the right handpiece for your practice
by Todd Prigmore
Handpieces have come a long way since the first Borden Air Rotor in 1957 . Today , each handpiece manufacturer touts features of their latest model . Which features are worth considering and which are marketing hype ? Many of the more popular handpiece brands have price points of $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 each . When you factor in the advice to have three handpieces per operatory , you are looking at a substantial investment in an admittedly vital part of your practice . This article will give some highlights to consider when choosing a handpiece .
Head size
Most dentists would say you can ’ t have too much power . If this describes you , head size should be your first consideration . It is good to have a couple of different head sizes available to you so that you can tailor your handpiece choice to the procedure . Most manufacturers offer as many as three head sizes within the same model – pedo , standard , and torque head . Owning more than one head size gives you the option of choosing the largest size head for that procedure and saving the smaller head handpieces for cases where access is a challenge . Generally , the larger the head size , the more torque so your procedures go faster , reducing wear and tear . The larger turbines also turn slower which puts less stress on the turbine ’ s components .
Quick connect vs fixed back end
Handpieces that have a quick connect have several advantages and you should weigh these benefits against the extra cost of the
18 HOUSTON DENTISTRY | www . houstondentistrymagazine . com