The Profin Contra-Angle Handpiece

This handpiece made by W&H International is designed for polishing and shaping restorations in difficult-to-reach places. It looks like a drill but instead of a rotary motion, the head moves backwards and forwards. It comes with a selection of polishing heads called Dentatus files and tips that have differing degrees of roughness.

What’s good about it

Restorations that are below gum level and in between teeth nearly always result in an excess of resin left behind. It is extremely difficult to remove these overhangs and over-contourings of restorations. Unlike amalgam where it was possible to remove the material before it set, resin-based bonding is set hard when you go to polish. This handpiece allows me to get a flush, polished finish without damaging the tooth or the adjacent tooth.

We also do a lot of ceramic work and it can be difficult to remove overhangs of ceramic. This planes the ceramic nicely and you can adjust it precisely. It fits on my electric motor beautifully and my hygienist can also use it to polish, clean and reshape.

On top of all that, it fits in the hand nicely. It’s a beautiful thing to drive.

What’s not so good

The tips are small and easy to lose. If you lose one in the sequence, you can’t purchase individual tips. You have to buy another whole set. However, it’s a pretty minor problem.