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The dental handpiece is a frequently used instrument in the clinician's armamentarium. Dental handpieces were first introduced in the nineteenth century as primitive hand-operated devices. Advances in technology have enabled modern handpieces to evolve into sophisticated, engineered precision instruments. The most common handpieces are operated by compressed air or by electric motors. The current market offers a variety of handpieces to suit specific clinical needs. Care and maintenance of all dental handpieces is essential to ensure maximum efficiency and longevity. This paper offers a brief insight into the history of dental handpieces and illustrates what the current market has to offer, with recommendations on care and maintenance to avoid the common problems encountered by clinicians.
Clinical Relevance: Selection, knowledge and maintenance of the dental handpiece are key for effective clinical practice.
Article
The timeline,1 incorporating Figures 1–3, illustrates the rich history of modernizing technology and ergonomic designs incorporated into the dental handpiece. Over the last 140 years our handpieces have evolved from the historic manual wind-up mechanism to the sophisticated engineered devices we depend upon today.
Harnessing the power of water and electricity, the handpiece delivers impressive torque, powering a controlled cut with which we are able to modify tooth surface. Even in its most simple design it is a core technology in our dental armamentarium. Used for most dental operative procedures from caries excavation to crown and bridge preparations to surgical sectioning of teeth and bone removal, the dental handpiece is a significant investment, with few of us retaining the knowledge and understanding of the intricate mechanisms behind this technology.
When cared for correctly, these potentially delicate instruments can serve us for 30 years – a sizeable proportion of our working career. Admittedly, the majority of clinicians may choose to update their handpieces well in advance of this; nonetheless we may agree that we would appreciate our handpieces to stay reliable and in good working order, maximizing the return on our investment. Handpiece repair costs can be a high recurring expense to all dental practices and, whilst unavoidable due to repeated sterilization, with adequate care we can aim to minimize the adverse effects of prolonged, repeated use.
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