We would like to take some time to introduce you to Steve Jaeger, president of ProHealth Equipment Distributors, Inc. Steve is marketing a device called the AnterioRest. AnterioRest is an adjustable arm that is mounted to the back of your patient chair. On the end of this arm is a pad that you can use to lean forward on when working on a patient, rest your arm on while working, or even use as an additional pillow surface for the patient to lean on. Steve has called on us at R-Tech Dental to install these devices in the Minnesota and Wisconsin territories. If the device looks like something that you might have interest in, I encourage you to contact Steve at 612-860-0462 and request a demonstration. You may also click on the AnterioRest logo and it will take you to their website where there is a video of the AnterioRest in action!

Dr. Jerome Appledoorn, of Professional Drive Dental in Northfield, MN is again planning his next foreign mission trip. He is presently in need of an amalgamator for his next trip. So if you have a spare amalgamator that is just eating up space in the basement, contact Dr. Appledoorn at 507-645-5264. He'd appreciate the donation towards this good cause.

WANTED OLD & UNUSED HANDPIECES

If you have old or unused handpieces in the bottom of some of your drawers and would like some cash for them give us a list or send them to us for a bid.

WANTED STERILIZERS

If you are buying a new sterilizer and don’t know what to do with the old one give us a call. We are giving excellent trade in values for used sterilizers. Don’t let the other guys tell you that your old one is junk. Let us bid on the new sterilizer and give you a fair trade in on your old one.

They thoroughly and totally pervade our lives. We eat them, we breathe them, they live in our bodies, and we can not live without them. They have been found miles deep in the earth and at the bottom of the deepest ocean. In the wrong place with the wrong kind they can cause you to sicken and even die. I speak of course of bacteria.

With the ability that bacteria has to find and exploit each little niche in the environment it is no surprise that I have found myself battling them continually over the last 25 years.

In the early 1980s the dental delivery systems in use could not have been better designed as housing for bacterial if that had been the original intention. By this time the large Ritter and SS White delivery systems with the belt drive handpieces on their tops were on the way out and we were in the time of the plastic delivery system. Strange as it may seem the older units with lots of metal piping and rubber hosing did not support the growth of bacteria. Furthermore the speed of the old belt drive drills did not require water cooling so water lines were kept to a minimum. If the mouth needed to be flushed the dental unit had a glass of water sitting on it from which the patient would take a mouth full, swish, and spit into the cuspidor. The water to fill the glass was delivered in naturally bacteria resistant copper and brass piping. If the dentist did use his water syringe the water was supplied in a rubber tube that must have also been bacteria resistant since I never had to clean one.

Enter the highspeed handpiece with its critical need for coolant water and everything began to change. The era of the plastic dental unit had begun. Water was being supplied from the municipal water system but once to the unit all the piping was done in vinyl and polyurethane plastic tubing. Bacteria loves plastic water lines. The first infection of bacteria builds a housing development on the inside of the hoses called a polysaccharide matrix. After this matrix is in place a flush of Clorox is very much like cutting the grass. As soon as the Clorox is gone the bacteria emerges from hiding and goes on growing. A further complication was that almost no dental units used a clean water system. Even if the clinic wanted to flush Clorox into its water lines it could not since they were hooked directly to the building water lines. The usual procedure was to wait until the bacteria totally clogged off a water line to a syringe or a handpiece and then call R-Tech.

There was no question in anyone’s mind that a problem existed. We developed techniques to clean the water lines and many clinics put us on routine maintenance schedules so that their lines would be as clean as possible. We began to use check valves in handpiece lines to minimize the introduction of patient induced bacteria into the lines. While the bacteria in the water lines was a nuisance it wasn’t in most cases a threat to the health of the patient. We all take in bacteria every day and in most cases they are benign or can be dealt with by the body’s defenses.

Some of our more proactive clinics began to install clean water systems so that they could routinely run a Clorox rinse through the line. While this did not eliminate the bacteria or the matrix in which they lived it was a good control and at least kept the number of service calls down.

While the problem of the bacteria in the plastic water lines of the dental units had been present since the 1970’s it really didn’t come to the attention of the public until the late 1980’s when one or more of the TV networks investigative programs like 60 Minutes ran exposé’s on Dentistry’s Dirty Little Secret.

Over night patients were asking hard questions and demanding cleaner water and handpieces that had been sterilized. I remember wondering if the people criticizing the dental profession were as concerned about the spoons and forks they ate off in restaurants that had only been dipped in warm soapy water between diners. For good or bad the train had left the station and sterilization and water control had to be addressed. At this time many of the handpieces in use were not designed for repeated sterilization. New handpieces had to be bought and new techniques had to be developed to keep the handpieces lubricated and durable through multiple sterilization cycles. Millie and I tried to do our part inventing and patenting the handpiece flush station now marketed by DCI International which helped prolong handpiece life by providing proper lubrication and cleaning of handpieces before and after sterilization.

Gradually over the next several years almost everyone went to clean water systems and began Cloroxing their lines on a regular basis. We still did not have a solution to the problem of the bacterial matrix and the fast recovery of the bacteria in the lines but when done on a regular basis with handpiece sterilization bacterial counts could be kept within safe levels. Now that a market was available for a dental water line cleaner the chemists began to come up with better and better chemicals to clean and treat the water lines. Today most of the cleaners not only kill the bacteria but also dissolve the polysaccharide matrix thus greatly lengthening the recovery time of the bacteria. Also the new chemicals do not corrode and damage the metal parts of the delivery system as fast as Clorox. Some manufacturers have even developed plastic tubing that is resistant to bacterial growth.

Today the modern dental operatory with its clean water system, anti-retraction valves, water line treatment chemicals and handpiece sterilization is cleaner and safer than ever before. We at R-Tech have gone from four or five clogged water line calls a week to perhaps four or five a year.

While I am sure we have not heard the last from our constant bacterial companions we have won this battle. We have the technology at this point to very effectively control the bacterial counts in your water lines. If you wish to verify that you are doing the right things to be part of this solution here are the things to check.

#1. No water that goes into a patients mount should be fed by a line attached to the city water system. Clean Water Systems are a must for the proper control of your water quality.

#2. A water line treatment plan should be in effect. Each chemical manufacture has their own instructions for proper procedures. We recommend a product called Mint-A-Clean because of its ease of use, effectiveness, and minimal impact to the metal valves and fittings of the dental units.

#3. All handpieces and attachments should be sterilized. Be sure to follow lubrication and flushing procedures to maximize the life of your turbines. Syringe tips should be flushed and sterilized or disposable tips can be used.

#4 While the new bio resistant plastic hoses are nice they are not considered a necessity if the #1 and #2 are followed.

Please call any of the technicians at R-Tech if you have any questions on improving your water control or treatment plans.

R-Tech Dental DUWL Power Point Presentation

-John

Rick Liedl is our upholstery specialist. What Rick can do to fix up a chair is more like art than anything else. The finished product looks better than it did when it came new from the factory. Since we have been promoting Rick, and the reupholstery service here at the shop almost everyone is aware of it. What you may not know however is that we also do piecemeal work. This means arms, slings, and headrests can be done separately to touch up your chair, if it is in otherwise good shape. Here is a challenge for you. Walk into your operatory and look at your patient chair with new eyes. What do you see? Even if all else is in good shape the toe cover is probably scratched and discolored. In most cases you can have the toe cover redone without a service call. Remove the old cover and send it to:

R-Tech Dental
Attn: Rick
16 Taylor St
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

And within a couple days a new replica will be returned to you. If you have questions just give Rick a call at 715-271-6160.

Other information about our chair recovery services can be found by visiting our chair re-upholstery page.

Just to make it as easy as possible for all of our clients, I'm constantly updating our X-Ray Calibration Section of our website, which is located under the R-Tech Services Tab. It is chock full of MDH documents, record sheets, bulletins, calibration records, shielding forms, and contact information for other individuals that can help you comply. I have tried to organize it in such a way that you will find it easier to find what you are looking for instead of hunting for it on the MDH website. Please feel free to email me with any suggestions for improvement or inclusion! JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING

Although, I don't personally do any repair work on computer systems installed in dental offices, I am well versed in their use. I have seen both good installs and installs that leave you shocked in total disbelief that the office actually paid someone to have them done. For years I have looked for a company that I could count on to do a good install and provide great service for my customers. Our wait is over...

I'm happy to tell you that we now have a solution to all of your computer network and dental technology problems! R-Tech Dental of MN recommends Zak Spaniol and his staff of well train computer service technicians. If you are looking for a company that can service & repair your computer systems, take care of infrastructure cabling, and support Hi-Tech dental products such as intra-oral cameras and digital X-ray systems, then Sunset Dental Technologies is your solution. Below is a description of the services that SDT is able to provide. Call Zak and let him know that Mike Wiltrout sent you!

• SERVICE & REPAIR - SDT's primary focus is Customer Service! We will answer your calls and we will be there on time. We service both Windows and MAC's for your convenience. With our dedicated team of qualified engineers and project managers, we can address your on-going network maintenance, monitoring and management service needs. SDT specializes in HIPPA compliance, configuration and implementation -- including complete technology consulting, sales, service and integration of servers, workstations, printers, patient entertainment, intraoral, digital radiography, panoramix systems, LCD arms, phone systems, professional audio and video systems and more. We are also experienced but not limited to the following platforms: DentiMax, Dexis, Schick, ViperSoft, EagleSoft, SoftDent, Practice Works, Dentrix, ImageRay, LightYear, Suni, Easy Dental.
• INFRASTRUCTURE CABLING - SDT can source, install and maintain all structured wiring per the ANSI/EIA/TIA standards to ensure performance at the appropriate level. All of our technicians are professional and a comprehensive warranty program that will protect your investment backs every installation.
• HI-TECH PRODUCT SELECTION - We are vendor neutral and offer advice on Digital X-ray Systems, Intraoral Cameras, and Digital Cameras. We also have significant experience with most Practice Managment and Dental Imaging Software. We can help you select the package that will work best for your office. You pick what suits your practice and we will take care of the rest.
• MAINTENANCE - SDT offers Maintenance Service Plans to fit your needs and most importantly, your budget. This provides the best and most cost-effective way for SDT to service your network of computers.
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE - We fully understand the importance of keeping your system and network running both day and night. In the event of an emergency we are there to help 24x7! Simply call our office at 612-701-6393 and we will address your service needs immediately.

Sunset Dental Technologies
Zak Spaniol, Managing Partner
13570 Grove Dr. #257
Maple Gove, MN 55311
612-701-6393
866-824-6926 FAX
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The foot control of your dental unit is a critical component in the proper operation of your operatory. While we are all aware that this round silver disk allows us to control the speed of the handpiece it is less commonly known the part it plays in proper handpiece water control. The foot control is supplied with a main ¼ inch air line that is regulated just below 80 pounds per square inch of pressure. This means that even though the pressure in the compressor tank can vary as much as 20 psi, up and down, there is always a regulated non-changing amount being supplied to the foot control. This regulated air supply is used in three ways by the foot control. First of all there is a main valve that opens in response to the pressure of the foot on top of the disk. As the disk is pressed harder the air supplied to the handpiece increases from 0 psi to a preset maximum of about 40 psi. This air is sent from the main valve back to the unit in a second ¼ inch air hose. When the pressure of the foot is removed from the disk the main valve shuts down and opens up quickly releasing the pressure that is going to the handpiece. If the main valve is sluggish the handpiece may continue to run for a few seconds before releasing the air. A properly working main valve will quickly make a "psst" of air when released and the handpiece should begin to stop immediately. The second and third ways that the regulated air is used involve the chip air and the water pilot air. Attached to the main valve in the foot control is another valve called the pilot air valve. The pilot air valve is designed so that even a small push on the disk will send a full pressure air supply back to the unit in a 1/8 inch hose to be used for the chip air on the handpiece. When the foot control is released the chip air from the pilot valve turns off and the pressure dissipates out the chip air hole at the front of the handpiece. The pilot air valve also supplies a full pressure air supply to a small toggle valve on the top of the foot control. This toggle valve is used to turn the water supply on and off to the handpiece. When the toggle valve is turned on the full pressure air is allowed to go back to the unit in another 1/8 inch air line where it pushes open another valve that is hooked up to water thus turning on the water to the handpiece. When the foot control is released the pilot valve quickly shuts down and releases the air pressure in this air line. It is important that the air be released quickly so as to minimize the amount of water that drips from your handpiece. If the pilot air valve is sticking at all, the water will continue to drip from your handpiece unit the pilot air valve resets and releases the pressure.

READ THIS EVEN IF YOU SKIP THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

The most common problems with the foot control involve air leaks and the sticking of the main valve or the pilot air valve. Your foot control should not leak air at all if you are not pushing it or if you are pushing it and holding it. You should only hear an air release for a brief second or two after pushing and releasing the disk. Test this by picking up the foot control and holding it to your ear. Now squeeze and hold the disk down with your hand. Little or no air should be heard to escape. Finally release the foot control and you should immediately hear the psst of releasing pressure. If the psst is delayed by a few seconds your control should be serviced. Finally any continuous leak from the foot control can be very hard on your clinic’s compressor. We have seen compressors fail due to a foot control leak.

A couple weeks ago I received an excellent question that I thought I would share with everyone.

Is it important to use an automatic oiler with the electric handpiece attachments?

The oiling of the electric handpiece attachments is very important to make them last. We are referring to the 1:5 heads that are used to turn the electric motors into highspeed handpieces. The procedure, for oiling them manually, requires that we use an aerosol oil with a special adapter. KaVo recommends KaVo Spray Oil #0411.9650 and adapter #0411-9931. We begin by holding the handpiece in a paper towel and using the spray can and adapter, spray into the back for 2 or 3 seconds. Next the handpiece should be run for 20 to 30 seconds to blow out the oil before sterilization. The use of units like the Quatro Care or the Asistina do these procedures automatically. In the fast pace of most offices the Quatro Care and the Assistina save time and ensure that the job is done properly. Do not forget that there is no guarantee that the chuck that holds the bur will get oiled unless a couple of drops of oil are manually put in it at least weekly.

- John Wiltrout