Maintenance Tips
The best repair is the one you rarely need. Proper maintenance is one of the most effective ways to extend the life of your handpieces, improve performance, and reduce unexpected downtime. At Preferred Handpiece Repair, we believe that educating our customers is just as important as providing expert repairs.
Here, you'll find practical maintenance tips and best practices gathered from more than 25 years of experience and over 100,000 handpieces repaired. From proper lubrication and cleaning techniques to recognizing early signs of wear, these recommendations can help protect your investment and keep your equipment performing at its best. If you ever have questions, our team is always happy to help.
Below you will find information on:
Sterilization Techniques
Regular Maintenance
Proper Lubrication
&
How to know when it’s time to send your handpieces in
Sterilization & Maintenance for Regular Use
Proper sterilization plays an important role in the long-term performance of your handpieces. After each autoclave cycle, make sure the sterilization pouch is completely dry before removing it. Even small amounts of trapped moisture can lead to internal corrosion, causing unnecessary wear on bearings and other components. It's also a good idea to inspect your airline gasket regularly, if your handpiece has one, to ensure it's in good condition and allowing proper airflow.
Another simple way to extend the life of your handpieces is by keeping the chuck clean. The chuck is part of the turbine, and turbine replacements are one of the most common repairs we perform. While normal wear is expected over time, routine cleaning can help maximize the life of your turbine and keep your handpiece performing at its best.
We recommend cleaning the chuck about once a week using Drill Juice. It's the product we trust in our own shop, and we offer it with 10 reusable cleaning brushes for just $22. A single bottle goes a long way, making it an easy and affordable addition to your regular maintenance routine.
Proper Lubrication
One of the easiest ways to extend the life of your dental handpieces is by making proper lubrication part of your daily routine. Consistent lubrication after each use helps keep your equipment performing the way it should while reducing unnecessary wear over time.
We've seen firsthand the difference proper maintenance can make. That's why we recommend Syntek Synthetic Lubricant, the same one we trust in our own repairs. Its 100% synthetic formula is designed to clean and lubricate in one step, helping reduce friction, resist residue buildup, and protect your handpieces through repeated sterilization cycles.
Whether you prefer using aerosol spray or lubrication drops, we offer both options to help you care for your equipment. It's a simple step that can go a long way in protecting your investment.
16 fl oz Synthetic Aerosol Lubricant Spray
A simple one-step solution for lubricating all of your handpieces
2 fl oz Syntek Synthetic Lubricant Drops
A simple one step solution to keeping your handpieces running
Is It Time to Send Your Handpiece In?
There are several signs that it may be time to have your handpiece inspected or repaired. Ask yourself these questions:
* Does it sound gritty when running?
* Does the bur wobble?
* Does the bur stop during use?
* Is the light not working?
* Is there an air or water leak?
Ultimately, you use your handpieces every day—you know when something doesn't feel quite right. If you notice a change in performance, it's always better to have it checked sooner rather than later. We offer free repair estimates, so there's no risk in having us take a look.
Your handpieces are essential to keeping your practice running smoothly, and we're committed to helping you get the most out of your equipment. If you think something may be wrong, send it in—we're happy to inspect it and provide an honest assessment.
Take a look below to find out more about mailing your items in!
Fill out a repair form
For more details on how to mail in your handpieces, x-ray sensors, motors, instruments, and more, click the link.
Take the next step with us and fill out our repair form, or as you may remember from before, our repair order, with the link.