Reprocessing Dental Handpieces
By Mary Olivera , MHA , CRCST , CHL , FCS
Imagine that your sterile processing department ( SPD ) is given the responsibility of reprocessing hospital dental clinic instruments . Suddenly , you are required to clean and sterilize hundreds of additional handpieces — many which are new and unfamiliar . The clinic dental assistant may tell you to reprocess them as you would operating room ( OR ) surgical instruments , but that is not enough information . What can you do to get up to speed quickly ?
If you find yourself in this scenario , you may feel overwhelmed . Learning how to reprocess hundreds of new instruments is enough to make anyone ’ s head spin . As with any large task , it helps to break things down into smaller subtasks . Here , we outline manageable steps that the SPD can take to reprocess dental handpieces successfully :
Take inventory of the handpieces
When the SPD receives handpieces for reprocessing , take inventory of their quantity and type . It is essential to get help from the dental assistant when conducting the inventory to familiarize yourself with the new instruments .
If you do not have an instrument tracking system , you will need to assemble a picture book . Take a picture of each handpiece alongside its name , which you can write on a piece of paper . If the SPD owns an instrument tracking system , the task becomes much easier . Record the name , type , model , serial number and quantity of each handpiece and enter it in the system as a new item to be processed . The information you collect during the inventory will be valuable when you assemble data to support the need for capital allocation to increase the inventory .
Learn about different handpieces
To an untrained eye , all handpieces seem the same ; however , there are several types of dental handpieces with different functionalities . It would be helpful to create a picture book to teach the technicians to identify the handpieces . Each category of handpieces has components that must be matched correctly . These are a few categories :
●High speed handpieces – Regardless of the brand , dental practices refer to these handpieces as “ high speeds .” As one of the most frequently used instruments , high speeds are most likely to have the highest inventory . The dentist uses high speeds to remove tooth enamel and tissue , and also to prepare the site for tooth restorations and crowns . High speeds are one-piece devices with a slight angulation at the head . They have no attachments except for the bur that is used to perform the procedure .
●Slow speed handpieces – These handpieces are designed to help the dentist prepare the tooth when refining cavities for procedures such as root canals . depending on the manufacturer of the device , there are a variety of slow speed attachments . Some of the attachments that connect to the motor are :
• Straight attachment - This attachment is used for procedures outside of the mouth , like trimming dentures .
• Contra-angle attachment - This attachment is used to remove decay , polish tooth fillings , and adjust crowns or bridges . It ’ s mainly used for fine work as the burs tend to vibrate less .
• It ’ s important to note that attachments for slow speed handpieces are not interchangeable with those for highspeed handpieces .
●Surgical , endodontic and implant handpieces – These are specialized handpieces designed specifically for oral surgery and root canals . The SPD won ’ t be reprocessing these unless the clinic is performing these specialized procedures . However , it is important to learn to identify these specialty handpieces as some of them have very specific reprocessing instructions . Review the instructions for use ( IFU ) for each individual type to determine its cleaning and sterilization parameters .
How to reprocess handpieces
It is critical to obtain the IFU from the manufacturer for every type of handpiece your organization will be reprocessing . It ’ s also important to ensure that the IFU includes the most up-to-date recommendation from the manufacturer . Many dental handpieces manufacturers have sterilization instructions that require extended cycles , such as : 20 minutes at 250 degrees F ( 121 degrees C ), or 15 minutes at 270 degrees F ( 132 degrees C ). Some manufacturers are in the process of validating cycles that are more in tune with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation ( AAMI ) standard . Reach out to the handpiece manufacturer and ask for an updated IFU . Working with the manufacturer can help bring these parameters to an AAMI standard cycle .
If you have extended cycles for different handpieces , it is important to have adequate training and visual aids to ensure technicians use the correct sterilization cycle . The IFU requires completion of the entire process to render the handpiece cleaned , in good condition , and sterile . If the steps are not followed , we are jeopardizing the health of our patients .
Above all , the IFU is the foundation for excellent processes . If we do not follow the IFU , we are performing steps blindly .
Manual cleaning of the exterior
The first step to reprocess a handpiece is to manually clean it . Each manufacturer has a detailed set of instruction for this process ; however , there are basic steps that must be followed :