Brief introduction to the equipment and devices that could be found at any dental clinic or center, with an introduction to basic of principles of the dental chair and the Class B autoclaves.
There are also some explanations about certain small devices such as endodontic rotary devices
3. ItemsAvailable at Every General Practice Office
• Dental Cabinets: for storage of consumables, disposables, instruments, burs, handpieces and other small
materials
• Consumables: materials that are used during treatment procedures, whether they are consumable tips or
endo files of certain small devices, or biomaterials that are orally intraorally placed.
• Disposables: items that must be disposed after single usage, and normally are items that are of daily
usage by anyone (e.g. gloves, sterilization pouches, waste bags, cotton rolls, etc..)
• Instruments: general small tools that are used examine, manipulate, treat, restore and remove teeth and
surrounding oral structures (e.g. mirror, forceps, excavators, etc..)
• Handpieces: drill attachments to dental units or small auxiliary devices that are used for cutting, polishing
and finishing the teeth (Will explain in further details)
Cabinet Consumables Disposables Instruments
6. Small Dental Devices
Such devices are found only at specific clinics according to the specialty of the dentist or found built-in in the chair
Endo Rotary Devices Light Cure Consoles Implant Motors Dental Laser
Piezosurgery Ultrasonic Units Air polishers Amalgamators
7. Medium to More Advanced Dental Equipment
Bleaching Device Dental Microscopes CAD/CAM Systems
Sedation Machine Extraoral Imaging Systems Navigation Systems
10. Patient Chair Components:
A
B C
A. Headrest: For Most models the adjustment of the headrest is done
by hand.Very few models have the headrest motor driven or
controlled due to being expensive.They come in different types: flat,
single or double articulating and motor driven
B. Backrest: is normally controlled by a dental linear chair actuator
to recline from seating position to rest or emergency one
C. Seat: is controlled by a chair seat lift actuator to move upwards
and downwards
Double Articulating Head: The
most preferred headrest types
D
E
E. Chair Elevation System: The place where the lift actuator is
located
D. Seat Recline System: The place where the backrest actuator is
located
Backrest Seat Actuator
11. Dentist Element
It has 2 main functions:
• It is the part where main handpieces are
located for treatment use
• The control panel is located there.
Control Panel:
• From there you can control the movement
of the chair
• You can also store your favorite position
settings or presets
• You switch on and off the operating light
and adjust illumination
• You switch on and off cup filler and spittoon
sink and adjust the time period for cup filling
and sink flow duration
1. Water/ Airway Syringe
2. High and low speed Handpieces
3. Ultrasonic Scaler
4. Intraoral Camera
12. Dentist Element
• You can use one handpiece at a time by removing it from its
position or holder
• Most dental chairs can hold 5 different handpieces and such a
chair is called a 5-position chair
• After you remove the required handpiece that is attached into a
hose, you can initialize the rotation of the handpiece’s bur by
pressing on the foot control
• The foot control can also be used to adjust the position of the
patient chair, and by pressing on one of the buttons available,
you may position the chair to the emergency position
• You can control the water flow for each hose from the knobs that
are found below the element tray (box)
13. Dentist Element
• There are different styles for the way the hoses are set at the dentist element.The most common two
configurations are whip and traditional dentist element
WhipType or Continental: The hoses are arranged
at whip holders that are located above the element
box
TraditionalType (Hanging Hoses or OTP): Hoses are
arranged below the element box
14. Dentist Element
• Inside the dentist element, there are different components
that are there for controlling the activated handpiece
• The long rectangular electronic board for example detects
the hose that has been removed from its holder and then
send certain electronic signals to the solenoid valves or blocks
to permit or stop the flow of water or air through the hose
from inside depending on the press on the foot control switch
• A solenoid valve is an electrically activated valve,
typically used to control the flow or direction of air or
liquid in fluid power systems
• Solenoid valves are used in both pneumatic and
hydraulic fluid power systems
15. Dentist Element
• There are three universal types of hoses in which the
handpieces and/or handpieces couplings are attached into
them: Borden, Midwest and Fiber Optic
• The Borden one is rarely used and it will no longer be
available in the coming years as it is an obsolete
technology
• The other two types are the most common used types,
with the Midwest being somehow more available due to its
price
• Difference between Midwest and 6-hole one is that we can
attach an LED light to the latter for better visualization
while using the handpiece
• Each hole is a different path for air compressor, exhaust air,
coolant water and air
16. Handpieces on Dentist Element
• Dental Handpiece is a hand-held, mechanical instrument used to perform a variety of common dental
procedures, including removing decay, polishing fillings, and altering prostheses
• The handpiece itself consists of internal mechanical components which initiate a rotational force and
provide power to the cutting instrument, usually a dental burr
High Speed
(Turbine)
Low Speed
(Contra-angle)
Low Speed
(Straight)
17. Handpieces on Dentist Element
Non Fiber Optic
Turbine Head
Fiber Optic
Turbine Head
• Turbines are high-speed handpieces that run at 250,000 to 400,000 rpm
• The turbine holds the bur or cutting instrument while rotating from high
pressure compressed air
• A turbine consists of five components: spindle; chuck; impeller; bearings; and
two "0" rings
• Turbines could be classified by their head diameter size or by the availability
of LED light in it.
Turbine Coupling
• Most models of turbines are attached to the hose
through a turbine coupling
• Turbine incorporates ceramic balls, usually silicone
nitride, instead of steel. Ceramic balls are harder but
lighter than steel, thereby providing a longer wear
life with less stress on the bearing retainer
18. Handpieces on Dentist Element
• Low speed handpieces are handpieces that operate at
speeds up to 40,000 rpm
• You attach a contra-angle into a low speed motor that is
attached to the motor hose
• There are three different types of motors: Air motor
(driven by air compressor), brushed and brushless DC
motors
• The speed of electric driven motor is not variated as you
press on the foot switch
19. Handpieces on Dentist Element
• Contra-angle handpieces are color coded according to their gear ratio
• Gear ratio: the gears will either increase or decrease the
transmission speed
• Green color for example has a gear ratio of 6:1.
• If we used a motor with a speed of 42,000 and attached to it a
6:1 contra, the resultant speed will be 7,000 rpm
• However, the contra-angle also has a maximum allowed speed to run
20. Handpieces on Dentist Element
• You cannot choose to use only high speed or only low speed handpieces since each of them has different
indications of usage
• A good handpiece is titanium coated with LED for aiding visualization with a good friction bearing and
reasonable torque
• Torque: It is the ability of the handpiece to withstand lateral pressure on the revolving tool without
decrease its speed or cutting efficiency. Dependent -bearing and the amount of energy supplied to
the handpiece
• Handpieces will emit water through nozzles around the head of the handpiece to prevent heat
between the bur and the tooth the dentist is working on
• Turbines and contra-angle handpieces must be cleaned and lubricated to increase the life time of the
inner gears
21. Other Handpieces at Dentist Element
Triple way syringe: It is a dental device that supplies a focused stream of
compressed air, water, or combination of both, frequently used to clean a tooth
surface during dental treatment
Ultrasonic Scaler: It uses tips that vibrate to do dental cleaning at the gingiva and in
the spaces between the teeth to remove plaque buildup
Intraoral Camera: It is used to capture still images or record
videos of the teeth
22. Assistant Element
• It is the part where the suction hoses and other auxiliary handpieces are located and they are used by
the dental hygienist or by the assistant
• You may find here an additional 3-way syringe and an additional small control panel may be available
A B
A: HVE (High volume suction
hose)
B: Saliva Ejector
C
C: Built-in Light Cure: Curing light
is used for the polymerization of
light-cured resin-based materials.
Almost all resin composites, dental
adhesives and adhesive cements
utilize light energy for complete
polymerization
24. Safety Switches
In case someone has
unintentionally moved or bumped
into these locations while the chair
is moving, the chair will give an
alarm beep then halts movement of
the chair
25. Water Unit:
• Inside this box you will find the suction pumps and
drainage systems
• There are different types of built-in suction systems:Air
venturi, standard wet suction, automatic separator and
amalgam separator
• These pumps and separators allow the chair to be connected to
a central or single suction system that is externally installed
26. Water Unit:
AirVenturi Systems: A suction
machine is not necessary for the
operation of an air jet pump at the
treatment center
StandardWet Suction: Ready to
be connected to external wet
suction machine
Automatic with amalgam
separator: Automatic Separator
Provides waste water disposal /
suction for a dry suction system.
Amalgam Separator centrifuge to
separate solids (amalgam) from
the waste water
27. External Suction Systems:
• Suction units range from models which can be operated on 1
dental chair to systems that can be operated to 12 dental chair
and even more
• There are two types of suction techniques:Wet or Dry
• Wet dental vacuum systems use water to create vacuum
pressure
• Dry vacuum pumps create vacuum pressure by pumping air
out of the vacuum chamber
28. Operating Lights:
• There are two types of operating lights available: Halogen Lamp and LED
• A halogen light operates much like a standard incandescent bulb found in most homes.
• An LED (light emitting diode) is comprised of a single physical element called a semiconductor.
Halogen Lamp LED Lamp
30. Dental Stools (For Dentists and Assistants)
The saddle stool combines the healthy posture of standing with the advantages of a
stable and comfortable sitting
31. Chair Base
The chair base is the place in which the following components are
inside:
• Power switch and power supply
• The unit’s main PCB (electronic board)
• The water and air inlets
• Ethernet port (Connecting it to a PC for diagnosing errors or upgrading the firmware where necessary
33. Dental Compressors
• Dental Compressor compresses, cleans, dries and stores air, which powers handpieces and certain functions of
dental treatment centers and hand-piece cleaners
• The Dental Air Compressor is distinct to dental
surgeries as they lower the dew point of the
compressed air, removing impurities via an inline
filtration system and removing moisture from the air
through a compressed air dryer to protect your
handpiece, ensure dry air from the 3:1 and eliminate
bacteria
• There are two types of compressors: oiled and oil-less
• Oil-less is much safer to the patients with lower risk of
contaminating the air with lubricant
34. Dental Compressors
• Some compressors are capable of operating one dental chair at a time while
others could operate upto 15 different chairs and even more
• This depends on:
1. AirTankVolume
2. Number of cylinders and heads
3. Flow rate
4. Horse power
36. Sterilization
• At the end of each treatment, the instruments used must be 100% clear of germs (autoclaved) to
prevent any infection transmission between patients
• There are different methods of sterilization used in medical institutions: Heat, Chemical and Radiation
• Each method comprises of different types (e.g the heat method may include: flaming, dry heat, steam
and others..)
• The steam sterilization is the most common method and it is used at nearly all of the dental clinics
worldwide
• The autoclave (steam sterilizers), is a device that uses steam heat to kill any microbial life that may be
present on a contaminated Load.
37. Steam Sterilization
• There are three classes of steam sterilization:Class N (naked solid products),Class S, and Class B (big small
autoclaves)
• Sterilization using a steam sterilizer is recommended as the most efficient, cost effective and safe method of
sterilizing dental instruments in primary care dental practices.The sterilization process must be validated to
ensure that instruments are reliably and consistently sterilized using predetermined and reproducible
conditions
• To kill microorganisms, the instruments need to be exposed to steam at a specified temperature
for a specific holding time (Usually 134 C for 4 minutes)
• These cycles differ in the manner in which air is removed, the types of load they can sterilize, and whether
or not items can be wrapped during sterilization
• In Class N, air is directly replaced by steam, while in Class B, air is removed and replaced by vacuum them
the steam starts to gradually enter the chamber.
38.
39. Class B Principle of Operation
1. Starting Process: You put the wrapped instruments on
the sterilization tray and insert the tray into the milling
chamber and shut the door completely.
2. Air Removal Process: Vacuum pump removes air from
the chamber at different phases
3. Heating: Once all the air is removed, the steam
generator will inject small burst of steam into the
chamber until the pressure and temperature reaches the
appropriate parameters to start the sterilization time
(holding time)
4. Sterilization: Once the temperature and pressure is
reached the system will maintain this temperature and
pressure throughout the sterilization time.This is the
stage where the sterilization takes place.
40. Class B Principle of Operation
5. Pressure Release : The exhaust valve/solenoid valve
will open to release the pressure/steam inside the
chamber until the pressure is equal to atmospheric
pressure.
6. Drying: After all the air is exhausted after the
sterilization cycle.The vacuum pump will again pump
out all the moisture and steam from the load until the
load is completely dry.The heating elements around the
chamber will stay on to allow the water to evaporate
into gas and be pumped out by the vacuum.
7. Completion: After the drying is done, the cycle is
complete and you can open the door
41.
42. Notes Regarding Using the Autoclave
• Use only distilled water for sterilization process, either by filling manually the feed tank above
the machine or by connecting it to a water distiller or treatment machine that purifies tap water
• The machine will give an error message if the conductivity sensor reads more than 10 micro
siemens or such reading (Conductivity sensor measures the purity of feed water)
• The machine should be slightly be tilted backwards upon installation to prevent undried instruments
problems
• You should not exceed the weight limit of the instruments or else instruments will be undried after
process is finished
• There are certain pre-programmed cycles to use: Universal, Quick, Prion and others
43. Full Hygiene Systems
• There are systems that are used for cleaning and lubricating
the handpieces automatically instead of manually clean them
by tap water and lubricate them using a lubricant oil
• There are also systems that may perform sterilization for
handpieces in addition to cleaning
• You place number of handpieces (usually not more than 6)
and hang them on a holder them close the chamber and start
the process
• The autoclave class for such systems is Class S
• The whole process of cleaning, lubricating and autoclaving
takes around 12 minutes only
46. What is RCT
• Root canal treatment (also known as endodontic therapy, endodontic treatment, or root canal therapy) is
a treatment sequence for the infected pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and the
protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion
48. Devices Used for Root CanalTreatment
• Endo Motor Console: It is a device that uses endo rotary files to clean and shape
the root canal
• It consists of a motor, low speed 6:1 contra-angle and control pad with display
• There are different types of endo files that you attached on the contra-angle
as there are different systems used for root canal treatment.
• Each company has it owns system, and for every system the files are color
coded depending on size and other parameters
• On the control pad, you choose the system you
want to use, then you choose the designated
file according to the color code and type
• You may also adjust speed and torque when
necessary
49. Devices Used for Root CanalTreatment
• Apex Locator: it is used along with the motor device to detect
whether the endodontic has reached the apex of the root or not
• Its principle is similar to the proximity sensor that is used our cars
• Obturation Device: It is used to inject gutta percha after the pulp is cleaned
• Gutta Percha Oven: For heating the gutta percha
