Nano Technology Solves Dentists Frustrations over Handpiece Repairs
Dentists have been frustrated for years by handpiece failure previously attributed to the brutal sterilization process. However, the developers of Bio Lube™, the first “Nano Lubricant,” have uncovered a secret about handpiece failure: It’s not sterilization but inadequate lubrication that is killing today’s dental handpieces.
Sterilization was not recommended until the early 1990s. At that time, dentists learned what manufacturers feared, most handpiece components could not withstand the superheated environment of the autoclave. Plastic tubing, o-rings, and soldier joints melted when they were subjected to harsh conditions.
That was then.
Today’s dental handpieces have been re-engineered using components crafted of the finest metals, high-temp resins, and heat-resistant o-rings and gaskets. These modern-day workhorses are able to sustain speeds of 250,000 to 500,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).
However, statistics show that repairs are as frequent as ever and the most common problems are 1) turbine failure, 2) lack of lubrication, 3) excessive air pressure, and 4) incorrect bur placement. Three of these issues are attributed to inadequate lubrication.
Here’s the proof.
Problem 1: Turbine failure or Sluggish Handpiece Syndrome.
This is caused by a build-up of conventional lubricant, protein, debris, and saliva. Once this mixture is exposed to the superheated steam of the autoclave it becomes a slurry and is subsequently baked onto the handpiece components during the drying cycle. Why? Oil and water don’t mix. Conventional lubricants are low-viscosity mineral oils that breakdown in the sterilization process.
Solution: The Bio Lube™ System is a two-part process designed to restore and maintain dental handpieces by cleaning and lubricating. Bio Lube™ Cleaner not only strips away the debris ingested during procedures, it eliminates months of baked-on residue restoring three out of five sluggish or dead handpieces. Once the handpiece is clean it can maintain its torque and speed by applying Bio Lube™ with TLC Technology. This boundary lubricant contains antiwear agents that work on the molecular level forming a strong polymer bond to all metal and ceramic surfaces, eliminating 90% of friction and wear. These bonds are strong enough to endure the sterilization process and beyond. Bio Lube™ also battles another leading cause of handpiece failure, component dry out, due to repeated sterilization, with conditioning agents that keep o-rings and bearing cages pliable longer.
Problem 2: Lack of lubrication.
This may appear to be a simple case of handpiece neglect, someone didn’t apply enough lubricant. However, most frequently this occurs when traditional oils are expelled at high speeds.
See Illustration A-1
Why? Conventional lubricants do not produce strong bonds with the surface. They are simply intended to serve as a barrier between the two surfaces and are literally “forced out” by the pressure created at high speeds.
See Illustration A-2
Solution: The Bio Lube™ with TLC technology creates a polymer bond on the molecular level that is scientifically engineered to withstand extreme pressures.
Problem 3: Excessive air pressure.
This could also be attributed to handpiece neglect; the user turned the air pressure beyond the recommended manufacturers’ level. But the handpiece is losing speed and torque and the user deduces that increasing the air pressure will increase performance. Why? This is the Sluggish Handpiece Syndrome discussed in Problem 1.
Solution: The Bio Lube™ System.
Illustration A-1
Illustration A-2
The Real Problem:
A lubricant is only effective when it is bonded to its protected surface. So you may ask what causes lubricant's bond to break? Or the question more commonly phrased, what causes lubrication failure? There are three root causes of lubrication failure: contamination, temperature, and pressure.
Solution: The developers of Bio Lube™ with TLC Technology had a revolutionary idea. Create a food-grade lubricant that works on the molecular level creating bonds strong enough to repel contaminates (water and debris) and withstand excessive temperatures and the extreme pressures exerted at high speeds.