With February at our door, it is time to prepare for dentistry month. Starting with instruments and veterinary dentistry equipment, you must ensure that all necessary equipment is in good condition to supply your clients with fast and quality service. If dentistry is an essential part of your veterinary practice or a growing part of your daily activities, different types of units exist, and several configurations are available to answer all your needs.
Identifying your needs
Identifying your needs will facilitate your decision making. Taking note of what you need and what you do not want will guide you towards the best choice for your next veterinary dental delivery unit.
- What type of dental care do you offer? Prophylaxis or more complete dental care, such as dental radiography or extractions?
- Do you wish to work with high-quality handpieces to avoid frequent breakage?
- Do you want to individually adjust the water and strength of the handpieces?
- Do you want to be able to adjust the height of the machine according to the height of the operator?
- Do you want to work with dental suction and fiber optics?
- Do you want to move the unit around in the room?
- Do you prefer autoclavable handpieces?
- How important is the quality of life in your clinic related to the level of noise?
- Have you or your staff ever been injured by handpieces?
Customer service
Gathering information concerning the warranty and services offered before your purchase will avoid bad surprises.
- What is the warranty on the dental unit?
- What is the warranty on the handpieces?
- What are the different options offered on the unit?
- What is the cost and availability of the maintenance service?
- Is staff training included when purchasing a dental unit?
- Is buying a Canadian made product important to you?
Information search
Now that you have identified your needs, you can efficiently compare the different products Dispomed offers.
Handpieces
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| ULTRASOUND COMBO | PIEZO COMBO | HIGHDENT™ INTRO | HIGHDENT™ TRIO | HIGHDENT™ QUATTRO | |
| Scaler | Ultrasonic From 18 to 30k |
Piezo 35k | Piezo 42K | Piezo 42K | Piezo 42K |
| Polisher | Electric | Electric | Pneumatic | Pneumatic | Pneumatic |
| Power of the high-speed handpiece | N/A | N/A | 310 000 rpm | 310 000 rpm | 310 000 rpm |
| Adjustment of the handpieces (strength, water) | Individual | Individual | Individual | Individual | Individual |
| Automatic selection of the handpieces | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Autoclavable handpieces | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More info | More info | More info | More info |
Piezo Scaler
The piezo scaler creates its vibration from an electric current passing through a crystal. During the process, it is possible to use power up to 42k with a linear movement while remaining cool. Maintenance wise, you only need to change the tip by unscrewing it when it is worn out. A chart is supplied to check the wear.
Sonic Scaler
The sonic scaler is an older technology that works with air, allowing the machine to remain cool in spite of the large airflow. One of its inconveniences is that it is not very powerful, less than 10k, meaning it can take up to four times more than the piezo to de-scale a patient. Maintenance wise, the unit presents several problems due to its design. The vibration is created by the air that continuously blows on a stainless steel barrel that hits the post on which it rests at each cycle. This process translates into a constant collision of the mechanism that causes the scaler to break easily.
Ultrasonic Scaler
The ultrasonic scaler, which is also an older technology than the piezo, works with electricity. It operates by the assembly of metal strips welded at both ends through which the current passes and creates an oscillation by having all the strips vibrate one against the other. The main inconvenience of this technology is that it creates a lot of heat to the animal’s teeth and gums. In certain cases where the unit presents noticeable wear, the handle gets so hot that it becomes impossible to hold for a long period. It is only half as powerful as the piezo scaler, which increases the time needed for scaling.
Electric Polisher
The electric polisher that can be found on small dental combos works with a 110 volt electrical supply, which gives the power to a small electric motor. This engine has a rotation speed of approximately 2000 to 40 000 revolutions per minute. When polishing, the polisher must run slowly (around 5000 rpm) in order to do a good job. With an electrical polisher, this task can be more difficult since no indication is given on the speed of the rotation other than the engine sound. The high speed of the polisher can decrease the quality of the polishing.
Pneumatic Polisher
The pneumatic polisher offered with Highdent™ has a motor designed to rotate up to 25 000 rpm when it reaches 35 pounds of pressure. The contra-angle installed on the handpiece acts as a power transmission system with a speed reduction of an effect of 4 to 1, which reduces the rotation per minute to about 6000, also increasing the power of the polisher.
High-Speed Handpiece
In dentistry, the high-speed handpiece is used to cut the teeth before extracting them. This operation requires high speed from the handpiece, so the procedure is fast and easy. Adequate water supply to cool the tooth and the cutting tool reduces the risk of damage.
Since the dental combo does not have a high-speed handpiece, can it be used to cut teeth?
The answer is yes. However, we do not recommend it. The way to cut a tooth with this unit is to use the polisher with a tip that can hold a bur. Once the installation completed, you must increase the speed to the maximum, 40 000 rpm, which is about 8 times slower than a real high-speed handpiece. Since a polisher with a bur does not have a water source, you must make sure that you cool the tooth and the tool with an alternate system. You must also consider that the time required to cut will be longer than with a high-speed handpiece. Another aspect to think about is the premature breakage that can be caused by excessive pressure. Thus, it is much more efficient to use a high-speed handpiece as found on the Highdent™ that rotates 310 000 rpm with an adjustable water jet. The time required to cut will be decreased without effort or damage.
Design of the Machines
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ULTRASOUND COMBO | PIEZO COMBO | HIGHDENT™ INTRO | HIGHDENT™ TRIO | HIGHDENT™ QUATTRO | |
| Operating mode | Electric | Electric | Silent compressor |
Silent compressor | Silent compressor |
| Height adjustment | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Option | None | None | Wall-mount | Optical fiber, wall-mount | Suction, optical fiber, wall-mount |
| Mobile unit | Yes | Yes | With wheels | With wheels | With wheels |
| Handpiece protector | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty on unit | 1 year | 1 year | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Warranty on handpiece | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
| Cost of maintenance | $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ |
| Staff training | Offered by Dispomed* | Offered by Dispomed* | Offered by Dispomed* | Offered by Dispomed* | Offered by Dispomed* |
| Choice of color | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manufacturer | USA | USA | In Canada by Dispomed | In Canada by Dispomed | In Canada by Dispomed |
| More info | More info | More info | More info |
HIGHDENT™ advantages
The Highdent™ unit’s silent compressor reduces noise pollution; therefore, eliminating tinnitus problems, headaches, and general auditory problems as well as irritability and offers a better quality environment.
Ergonomics is a major aspect of the Highdent™ design. No matter how tall you are, you will be able to prevent long-term problems by adjusting the unit to the height that suits you.
If you dream of seeing the inside of your patient’s mouth, get yourself the optical fiber! It will increase the visibility of the intervention site.
The suction option will allow you to reach even the smallest debris; thus, prevent the insertion of waste and bacteria along the endotracheal tube, limiting the possibility of pneumonia by aspiration.
Nothing is easier than positioning the Trio and Quattro unit in the perfect spot to facilitate your intervention on the patient thanks to the machine’s mobility.
The handpiece protection system, exclusive to Dispomed HIGHDENT™, offers two important advantages: it prevents the staff from getting hurt on the sharp tips of the handpieces as well as breakage from dropping them on the floor.
As with all products manufactured by Dispomed, the warranty assures you get a quality product and peace of mind for five years. The handpieces are not manufactured by Dispomed, so the warranty is one year.
*For combos and Highdent™ units, Dispomed offers basic training on how to use the units purchased by phone or on-site depending on your location.
Are you opening a new veterinary facility? Dispomed allows you to match your equipment with the clinic’s decor!
As the manufacturer of Highdent™ machines, Dispomed assures the availability of product parts as well as the technical knowledge of its technicians and sales representatives.
