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Lab handpiece (lab micromotor)
Also called: lab engine, laboratory micromotor
A bench-top motor and handpiece used in the office lab for acrylic and models.
A lab handpiece is a micromotor (a small electric motor) with a control box and foot pedal. It holds straight-shank burs and stones to trim acrylic dentures, night guards, temporaries and models. It stays in the lab and does not go in the patient's mouth.
How to spot it
- A pen-shaped handpiece on a cord to a bench-top control box with a speed dial and a pedal.
What it is used for
- Adjusting and polishing appliances and provisional crowns outside the mouth.
Safety and care
- Wear safety glasses and a mask: grinding throws dust and chips.
- Disinfect items from the mouth before working on them in the lab.
Related
Sources: W&H Dentalwerk. Reports and studies: handpiece types and speeds