Are you starting a degree in dentistry? Do you have to buy your first dental turbine?
At Dentaltix, we want to help you find the best suited dental turbine for your current level of experience in dentistry. This article should help you choose between thousands of products among the numerous ranges and characteristics that exist, while always looking to find the best mid-point between price and quality.
Basic classification of rotary instruments
Dental Turbines
Dental turbines provide high speed with the smallest head and burs for the most thorough treatments, such as cavity preparation, milling, or restoration removal. An example of this can be the titanium turbine with light.
The dental turbine is attached to a compressor hose which provides air for the operation, this can be done through:
- Integrated connection without the need for a coupling but requiring complete disconnection to change.
- A quick coupling, the function allows to switch instantly between the other rotators without having to unscrew the entire instrument from the hose. Available with and without LED light
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages, but for general use and when more time is needed for treatments, the speed of coupling is a plus. You can read the following post where we explain How a turbine handpiece works? and the article about Comparing Dental Turbines. Also you can learn more about Turbines reading the article: Dental Turbines connections.
The Dental Contra-angle Handpiece
It is a low/medium speed rotator and its clinical uses include: cleaning of surfaces in prophylaxis, deep caries excavation and polishing and completion of restorations.
At Dentaltix, we recommend the C Eco Line dental contra-angle handpiece from MK Dent.
The Handpiece
This instrument has a straight cutting angle and its burs are the largest. This is a low speed instrument.
The handpiece is used in extraoral works, for prostheses or orthodontics for example, although it can also be used intraorally, for surgery or implants.
In this more detailed post, we give you several tips to choose a handpiece that will surely help you to choose the one that best suits your needs.
The Micromotor
Both the Counter Angle and the Handpiece are connected to the coupling. Unlike the turbine, they require an intermediate unit for their operation, which provides the power and movement of the milling cutter.
The instrument in charge of this is the Micromotor, which doses the energy and regulates the power.
We also have a much more exhaustive post about the micromotors where we explain different aspects of this dental appliance.
Important advice
The type of connection of the coupling to the hose must be known. There are different types but the most common are the "Borden" or 2-hole connector and the "Midwest" or 4-hole connector. The latter is the standard that is being imposed and used by the big manufacturers and that they will surely set up in the university and most of the clinics.
Beware of international shopping on the Internet, or if you have inherited an old rotary, as they may be incompatible. In case you are already in this case, we have Borden/Midwest available.
Rotator kit for students or separate instruments?
Only at Dentaltix do we have over 650 products in the category of Rotary Instruments! Choosing from a wide variety of instruments can be complicated, especially if you're in the race or looking for rotary instruments for your practice.
At Dentaltix, we recommend you to buy them grouped, mainly for the following reasons:
- Compatibility: When you buy a kit, you make sure that all the instruments are compatible with each other.
- Guarantee: Another great point in favor of kits is that they usually include a joint guarantee for the whole race.
- Price-Quality Ratio: Many brands offer kits designed for students at low prices and of good quality. The manufacturers are looking to attract future dentists with potential and loyalty with their brand, offering very good prices on the kits.
To help you find the best kits, we have created a special category with all the kits for dental students, including a warranty and free check-ups up until the end of your studies, plus lubricant spray and practical carrying case included. When purchasing any dental material, you must ensure that it is officially guaranteed and CE certified. Today you can find "white label" turbines on portals like Ebay, Amazon or Aliexpress at low prices, but be careful as counterfeits have also reached the dental sector. Purchasing counterfeit or black market products poses a risk to your own safety, and that of patients, and is clearly not a sustainable option.
As for the price range, it varies according to design, the power of the rotators, the materials, etc...
A minimum requirement is that they must be made of steel in order to be sterilized, even the titanium ones that are offered by the company.
Rotating with or without light?
In recent years, the price of light instruments has dropped significantly while their use has grown more more popular. For a pre-clinical trainee the difference is minimal, but once in the mouth, the contrast and ease of work is enormous with the help of a light, making it easier when you have little practice.
Be careful before buying them, however, because you also need a hose connection with light to illuminate the rotary lights.
At Dentaltix, we have rotary systems with self-generated light. Just like bicycles provide energy with the rotation of the wheel, the coupling has a similar system used to generate light for any dental equipment.
Given this brief overview, if you have any questions about rotary instruments, instruments or dental materials that you do not find and you may need for your dental practices, please contact us at hello@dentaltix.com and we will be happy to help.
As we know that during your studies you will need more than just rotary instruments, we have created a special section designed for students and filled with the best products that offer good value for money, while also including special offers for groups of students. Here you will find our special section for students.
