Modern dental drills operate at approximately 400,000 rpm; with diamond-tipped burrs, they are used for precision work, in close proximity to patient’s teeth and the soft tissues of the oral cavity. As such, it is vital that a professional is confident in the equipment they are using, since a malfunction has the potential to cause significant injury and disfigurement.
In light of this, therefore, would you consider buying your dental drill from eBay? Hopefully not – but that does not mean others won’t. Last year alone, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were required to seize 384 dental handpieces that had been bought from internet auctioning sites.[i]
Upon inspection, these products were found to be of dubious quality, often bearing falsified CE classifications and prone to malfunction – even breaking apart during use. Imported mostly from China and Pakistan, these handpieces posed a distinct risk to the patients upon whom they were being used, as well as the professionals who were using them. Furthermore, the penalty for knowingly buying and using counterfeit products is immediate erasure from the GDC register.
Luckily, there were few instances where these counterfeit products caused injury – but that does not mean the risk was any less real and it highlights the need for professionals to be very discerning when it comes to choosing their dental equipment.
The same can be said of maintaining this equipment. Dental handpieces are used on a regular basis and ensuring they are in good condition is vital. Should an older piece malfunction, the results can be disastrous. With consistent maintenance, however, malfunctions can be avoided. Nevertheless, as with ensuring the quality of a new piece, the quality of a repair service must be assessed before investment.
Third parties often manufacture the components of dental handpieces and this increases the risk of subpar parts being fitted in repair. The risks of this are obvious. Without the assurance of quality, these counterfeit parts can fail, causing catastrophic malfunctions in the handpiece. Unfortunately, the majority of these parts will undoubtedly cheaper, pushing down the price of repair work. While this might seem attractive in the short term, the potential risks are unequivocal in the long term.
Thus, it is crucial that dental professionals find a handpiece repair service upon which they can rely to use nothing but the highest quality parts and replacements. Ultimately, this will provide peace of mind and quality assurance. Companies that offer this level of service will undoubtedly work closely with legitimate manufacturers to ensure that the repairs they are conducting are of the highest standard, using quality assured parts.
Quintess Denta is such a company. Using only superior parts, the expert team at Quintess Denta ensure greater durability and performance for your dental handpieces. They work hard to provide a prompt service for your convenience, fully understanding the ramifications of being without a specific handpiece. What’s more, Quintess Denta provides an ongoing support service that allows you to be confident in the quality and reliability of your dental handpieces.
For more information visit www.quintessdenta.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 028 6862 8966
[i] The Guardian: Dentists warned of counterfeit equipment following huge haul; published Oct 2014; link: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/17/dentists-warn-counterfeit-equipment-seized-haul