Practice Tip #110: Top 10 Tips! (Part 1)

Practice Tips has been hitting thousands of e-mail inboxes since July of 2008 - here are the first half of our Top 10! These are not only the tips that are most frequently viewed, but also the tips we most commonly refer our customers to. These tips help resolve trouble you are having in the dental office.

#10 u2014 Recommended Tools for Repairing and Maintaining Equipment

Going back to the beginning, our second issue of Practice Tips consists of a list of helpful tools to have on hand to make sure you can keep your equipment running and reduce down time. The list includes a mix of basic hand tools, as well as some specialty tools and dental instruments used for equipment repair and maintenance.

Did you know: A stethoscopeu00a0helps you hear noises in your equipment that you might not be able to hear normally? Knowing where a noiseu00a0comes fromu00a0assists you in determining what needsu00a0fixing or not.

#9 u2014 Operatory Light Troubles

Issue #103u00a0proves tou00a0be immensely popular and helpful with our dentists. This issue covers the basics of trouble-shooting operating lights that wonu2019t light. Hint: it isnu2019t always the bulb.

Did you know:u00a0A malfunctioning light switch could be caused by a disinfectant solution. Thisu00a0affectsu00a0the wiring or internal switch mechanism. Issue #103 covers all the other possibilities as well.

#8 u2014 Pneumatics

Next on our list are actually two posts:u00a0#3 and #73.u00a0Both issues discuss the basics of pneumatics and how dental delivery systems work. They provide a quality foundation upon which to build your knowledge of dental equipment.

Did you know:u00a0The golden rule for air and water pressure is 2:1? Having the correct pressure in your dental unit is important to the proper function of your equipment.

#7 u2014 Handpiece Maintenance

Handpieces for every day use in the dental office and are vital instruments in performing dentistry. Inadequate maintenance is the #1 cause of high-speed handpiece failure and linked to overheating and patient burns by the FDA. It is important to keep up on your maintenance. Ouru00a0issue #65 covered the simple steps necessary to keep your handpieces running well.

Did you know:u00a0You should be cleaning your handpiece after every patient and prior to sterilization? Flush your handpiece with lubricant until clean lube comes out. This ensures all the debris has been cleared out before autoclaving.

#6 u2014 Air/Water Syringes

Weu2019ve had many issues of our Practice Tips newsletter dedicated to the humble air/water syringe. Issues #12 and #13 stress the importance of maintenance and repair of these dental equipment work horses.

Did you know:u00a0If your dental syringe leaks, it could be due to a bad button? Compare your buttons to our photos to find a match.

Hopefully you learned a few things or were reminded of the importance of proper dental repair and maintenance. Next month weu00a0round out the list with the final top 10, so stay tuned for more of the best of Practice Tips.

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