W&H United Kingdom
Small Turbine – Many uses
Source: ZWP 9 / 2014
Authors: Jenny Hoffmann, Christin Bunn / Oemus Media AG
Demographic change is becoming increasingly noticeable in the cross-section of patients who visit the dentist. As a result, concepts for gerodontology are increasingly taking centre stage. This change will require more specialized treatments and poses new challenges for dentists and dental assistants. The use of suitable turbines and straight and contra-angle handpieces plays a key role here.
Dental practices should be holistically oriented to meet the personal needs of patients. The growing number of older patients in particular will require treatments and treatment rooms to be modified to accommodate them. However, it is not only this patient group that must be specially catered for in routine day-to-day practice; children and anxious patients also need specialized dental care. Empathy and understanding are paramount in all cases as is the willingness to adjust professional workflows and treatment-related surroundings to the needs of patients. It is always important when doing this to bear in mind the patient’s particular physical and psychological characteristics.
Working comfortably even where space is tight
Choosing appropriate straight and contra-angle handpieces and turbines is very important when treating young and old people and applies equally to anxious patients. The instruments must meet both the requirements of the person providing the treatment and also the needs of the person being treated as this is the only possible way to work professionally and with the patient in mind. In practical terms, this means that an instrument is ideal for the treatment if, on one hand, it has the technical components to enable the dentist to use it as precisely and effortlessly as possible. On the other hand, its design and functionality should be such that therapy can be carried out with as little trauma and stress as possible for the patient.
W&H as a manufacturer of dental devices meets these requirements with its product lines. The company’s objective is to supply high-quality, reliable precision instruments to dentists for the benefit of patients. This also includes allowing for specific treatment situations which make it necessary to develop precision products that are still sufficiently versatile for a wide range of uses.
For specific situations that frequently occur in gerodontology and paediatric dentistry, the company has developed the TK-94 microturbine, a product that is perfect for use with young patients whose oral anatomy is not yet completely developed and also copes with the weakened jaw muscles of older patients.
With a diameter of only 9 millimetres and a head height of 17.2 millimetres with a 16 millimetre bur mounted, the TK-94 Synea Vision turbine enables the dentist to treat the patient with minimum restriction and perfect control in every case. Particularly when using several instruments simultaneously – for example when using turbine, dental mirror and aspirator at the same time – a restricted intraoral treatment space is no longer a problem with the space-saving TK-94 and patients are more comfortable with it.
The small head of the W&H turbine also allows a better view of the treatment site, which enables the dentist to work more accurately and avoid damage to the hard substance, even in difficult-to-reach areas.
The non-slip grip profile and low weight of 39 grams make it easy to use the instrument for extended periods without fatigue in the hands and it is also easily guided to precisely the required location.
Not only are there many advantages with the handling of the microturbine but W&H has also made practicality a priority when choosing the materials. The scratch-resistant stainless steel surface is wear-resistant and durable, considerably reducing signs of wear and making the instrument still look new even after frequent use. Functionality in routine day-to-day practice is increased even further by the option for thermo washer disinfection and sterilization to 135 °C. All Synea Vision turbines have the specially developed W&H five-hole spray – for optimum cooling of bur and tooth.
Quiet but powerful
In spite of its small size, the TK-94 microturbine has an impressively high power of 12 watts. At the same time, the instrument is not in the slightest bit noisy, on the contrary: the optimized flow conditions and high-quality ceramic bearings by W&H guarantee that the turbine runs very quietly and vibration-free. This is a particular advantage when treating anxious or inexperienced patients. It also prevents uncontrolled contact with adjacent teeth or antagonists, which can disturb patients. Like the reduced acoustic stimuli, the instrument’s appearance also has an anxiety-reducing effect. The small size of the W&H microturbine is less frightening for children or anxious patients than conventional turbines.
The effect should probably not be underestimated during treatment. The instruments, just like the general atmosphere in the practice, should help to calm the patient. The W&H TK-94 microturbine provides a solution optimized for minimally invasive use and combines both function and design to alleviate patients’ anxiety.
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