In Europe, 80 percent of doctors use an electric handpiece.In the United States it's 30 percent.We though electric was going to be the thing and that everybody would upgrade to an electric handpiece.While the traditional handpiece continues to be the dental drillof choice for many dentists, the electric dental handpiece is rapidly gaining groud.And for good reason,it offers superior cutting efficiency, regardless of the material, and quieter operation.Plus, many contemporary electric dental handpiece are backwards to compatible with existing air delivery systems, making the transition from air to electric a breeze.

Comparing Air and Electric Dental Handpieces

The two types differ in terms of speed (expressed in revolutions per minute, or RPM) and cutting force, or torque.

While an air-turbine handpiece can operate at higher speeds compared to

an electric handpiece, the rotating speed drops as much as 40 percent when the bur comes into contact with the material it is cutting. It is the resistance that the bur

encounters that causes a subsequent drop in speed and cutting force.Unlike an electric handpiece with its electric motor and drive shaft assembly, the air pressure in an

air-turbine handpiece cannot overcome the increased cutting resistance.An electric handpiece

maintains consistent, high-cutting.force, even at lower rotational speeds. The effect is greater

cutting efficiency across a variety of material densities, as well as reduced

operating noise.

Factors to Consider When Evaluating a Dental Handpiece

When evaluating different handpieces, keep your needs and the needs of your patients

at the forefront. Important factors to consider include noise and concentricity, both of which affect patient comfort, gear ratios, and ergonomics.

Concentricity

Concentricity refers to how tightly the dental bur turns on its axis as it spins. A dental handpiece with low concentricity tends to wobble as it spins. Look for a dental handpiece boasting

"exceptional concentricity," "reduced bur wobble," or "less bur chatter."

A patient in the dental chair experiences bur wobble as discomfort at the drilling site. Otherwiseknown at bur chatter, the phenomenon is more common with air-turbine handpieces and can arise when the bur transitions from one material to another, like when working to remove a crown.

Noise Output

The typical handpiece has a noise output of between 70 and 80 db, while the typical electric dental handpiece puts out 55 to 60db of noise.Choose a dental handpiece that offers noise reduction,

as any reduction in noise output reduces a patient's anxiety.

Interpreting Gear Ratios on Electric Dental Handpieces

Each electric handpiece comes with the gear ratio stamped into it. The gear ratio is expressed as X:Y and identifies what procedures the dental handpiece can perform.

For ultra-low speed procedures like endodontics and pin placement, there are dental handpiece with gear ratios like 10:1 and 16:1

Ergonomics

At a dental convention, take the opportunity to visit manufacturers' booths to try out how a dental handpiece feels in your hand. Electric handpieces feel heavier in the hand when compared to air-turbine handpieces. Test the grip with a gloved hand. Textures vary from glossy and smooth to a textured surface with bumps and grooves to enhance grip.