Red band handpieces

It amazes me that air turbine hand pieces are still widely used now that we have electric motors and speed increasing (red band) hand pieces.

For restorative dentistry I recommend using a 1:5 speed increasing hand pieces in conjunction with an electric motor running at 50,000 rpm. That produces a speed of 250,000 rpm.

Here are the advantages of this setup over an air turbine:

• Unlimited torque.
  The rpm doesn’t drop the moment you touch the tooth. You never need to back off in order to get the rpm back up. The bur won’t slow down or stall when cutting zirconia or non-precious metal.

• Smoother.
  They never produce chattering vibration. The rigid gear structure ensures the bur runs perfectly straight without wobbling. This creates smoother preparations and also extends bur life.

• Quieter. The piercing whine of a turbine is gone. That is nice for both the dental team and the patient.

The first time you cut a crown prep you’ll really notice the difference. You can cut consistently and smoothly without the constant backing off that’s needed with an air turbine. If you listen to someone working with an air turbine you hear that all the time. They start cutting, the rpm drops, they lift the bur off the tooth to get the rpm back up. Over and over.

If you need to prepare an access cavity through an old crown or remove a non-precious old bridge you’ll be amazed. Air turbines stall constantly. A red band with an electric motor never stalls.

Many European dental practices no longer have any air turbines. I built my practice without air turbines and I’d never go back.