Hygiene Atlas

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High-speed handpiece

Also called: drill, turbine, fast handpiece, air-driven handpiece

The air-powered handpiece that spins a bur very fast to cut tooth and remove old fillings.

The high-speed handpiece is run by compressed air spinning a small turbine in the head. It can reach about 400,000 rpm (turns per minute) with no load. It holds friction-grip (FG) burs, which are pushed into the head and held by friction or a push-button chuck. Water spray cools the tooth while it cuts.

How to spot it

  • A slim angled body with a small round head; a button on the back of the head releases the bur.
  • Water and air ports and often a light near the head.
  • High-speed vs. slow-speed: the high-speed head is small and the bur goes straight into it; the slow-speed uses a separate attachment.

What it is used for

  • Cutting enamel and dentin, removing old fillings and shaping crown preparations.
  • Pass it with the head pointing the same way the operator will use it, parallel to the instrument being exchanged.

Safety and care

  • Semicritical item (it touches the inside of the mouth): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
  • Handpieces and their attachments are cleaned, lubricated per the maker's instructions and heat-sterilized between patients.
  • Remove the bur before passing or cleaning it.
  • Makes aerosols: use high-volume evacuation.

Related

Sources: W&H Dentalwerk. Reports and studies: handpiece types and speeds, CDC. Statement on Reprocessing Dental Handpieces, CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), Dentalcare.com CE643. The Concepts of Four-handed Dentistry Including Ergonomic Instrument Transfer. Pages: zones of activity, single-handed transfer, two-handed transfer, scissors/hinged instruments, syringe transfer, non-locking forceps