About vibrations in dental instruments

What should a dentist or a procurement officer at dental clinics consider when considering to buy instruments with minimal vibration? 

As a procurement officer in a clinic, you should buy instruments that are manufactured according to the ISO standards applicable to medical instruments, in particular instruments that rotates. In Sweden and the Nordic region, we are very meticulous about the requirements that standard equipment should meet. You should therefore buy equipment from an established manufacturer such as us at KaVo, to be sure that the equipment meets these requirements. Something that buyers can consider is evaluating vibrations as a quality requirement, as the public customer Region Jönköping in Sweden did in its tender.

What is the big difference between high quality and low quality instruments?

Vibration occurs when mechanical components are set in motion. The more accurately and precisely an instrument is composed, the fewer vibrations it generates. The tighter the tolerance deviations, the better. Cheap instruments often come at the expense of not having the same level of precision in their components. There will simply be more play in both ball bearings and gears. The more play, the greater the vibration. 

The better the quality of the instruments, the lower you can bring the levels of vibrations. One could compare it to the difference between a Rolex and a cheaper watch. There is much more handwork in a Rolex, the craftsmanship makes it more expensive but it is much better composed. The same applies to our equipment. A lot is done by hand and the rotation is measured individually for each component for maximum precision. Everything is assembled and measured piece by piece in accordance with our strict requirements specification. 

What requirements should a procurement officer place on the equipment they purchase to avoid high-vibration instruments?

One should ask the supplier if the equipment meets the limit value of 2.5 m/s2. If the instrument is within that range, you can work with it without much risk. 

What has KaVo done with its M9000 L turbine that makes it vibrate less?

It is a very well-balanced turbine. In M9000L, the turbine wheel is balanced by hand in our factory to achieve absolutely optimal balance. It is tested and measured by a computer throughout the whole process in order to ensure this balance. Because the better the balance you have in the turbine wheel, the less vibration, simply put. We also make sure that not too much air can leak out on the side of the turbine wheel. This way we reduce both the noise level and the vibrations. 

What should a dentist consider if they have issues with hand and arm vibrations and wants to reduce them? 

Use instruments that create as little vibration as possible, for example, I can recommend products from our premium series MASTER. Our contra angle handpiece MASTER M25, for example. The entire MASTER range is the very best when it comes to minimal vibration levels. 

What specific ergonomic functions does the M9000 L turbine have?

It has a nice grip surface called Plasmatec, hygienic and easy to grip, which also puts less strain on the fingers. KaVo’s patented unique angle on the head makes it more compact, facilitating the access to the patient’s mouth. It is still powerful enough to maintain the performance of a larger turbine insert. 

Are there any studies indicating that the vibration levels of our instruments are better?

Yes, RISE has conducted an independent test where they compared M9000L with similar instruments produced by our competitors. It showed that both vibration and noise levels were better in our instruments than in our competitors’.