Achieving the proper torque and speed in a handpiece

When Dr. Hope Still, DDS, a general dentist at Family Smiles Dental in Dallas, Georgia, bought her practice, it came with everything she needed, including handpieces. Unfortunately, they were the original handpieces, which were at least six years old. As those handpieces got older and older, it became obvious that they needed to be replaced.

When that need arose, she did her homework and considered replacements from a number of different manufacturers and, as a result of that research, she decided to buy four Bien-Air TORNADO handpieces. The performance-and the price-has solved her problems.

The problem: Old handpieces had to be replaced.
The solution: Replace with modern handpieces.

My situation was this: I purchased my practice from another dentist, and the practice was six years old when I purchased. The handpieces were purchased originally by him. All of the handpieces were starting to die, so I was in the need of trying to find a handpiece that could perform the way I wanted. I was using a KaVo at the time. I was using an old KaVo, and, I’ll tell you what, I was loving those KaVos. I was looking for handpieces that could perform the way the KaVo did. So, I test ran some KaVos and I test ran some TORNADOs.

Read more: An inside look at the TORNADO handpiece from Bien-Air Dental

I was looking for the torque and the quietness and the speed that I could get out of the older KaVo, but at a better price. And it just worked out for me.

The problem: She needed a handpiece with enough torque.
The solution: Upgrade to handpieces that suit her needs.

Removing restorations, removing crowns-like porcelain fused to metal crowns-on the other handpieces, the torque and the speed were nowhere near what the TORNADO had. When I test ran the TORNADOs and cut off a crown for the first time, I was just blown away at the quickness and the amount of energy that it had to be able to cut through the crown. It was pretty amazing.

The KaVos I was using were a little old; I think the TORNADOs perform better than the handpieces I was using. I was really quite surprised by how well they performed. And I’ll be honest, I test ran some brand-new KaVos, too, and I thought the TORNADO cut smoother, cut faster-all around, I loved it better. And for the price, it was a better handpiece, too.

The problem: There is a bit of a learning curve with new equipment.
The solution: Bien-Air reps were able to help resolve the issues.

The only thing that I’ve had trouble with with my handpiece is that the chuck was releasing the bur. I spoke to my rep about that, and we weren’t lubing them according to handpiece guidelines. I think the TORNADO has to be oiled from the front, and I don’t think we were putting the oil in the front.

The problem: With so many handpieces on the market, finding the right one to fit her needs-and her practice-required a lot of research.
The solution: The Bien-Air TORNADO was the right fit for all aspects of her practice.

It’s very lightweight. I enjoy that. The curvature is very ergonomic to my hand. The head is reasonably small, so I can get into tight spaces. I like the handpiece overall. It does well for me.

I’m not set up for electric in the office, and that’s not something I wanted to add, so, for me, electric was not a consideration.

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Introducing it into my practice has just enhanced my ability to cut off restorations. If I use that TORNADO, and I have a new bur, it cuts like butter. I mean, it’s amazing how quickly I can get through my procedure, and that’s a huge benefit. The faster you can get through, the faster you can get done.

Conclusion

Replacing her legacy handpieces with new Bien-Air TORNADOs resolved Dr. Still’s handpiece problems. With the TORNADO’s SteadyTorque technology, Dr. Still is able to tap into the power that she needs to do her job with speed and efficiency. Additionally, they are good fits for both her personal handling needs and the requirements of her practice.