Practice Solutions: Improve the Ergonomics and Efficiency of Clinical Practice With a New Cordless Handpiece

The repetitive nature of procedures, such as hand scaling and tooth polishing, places a large load on the muscles and tendons of the wrists and hands. Due to the nature of their work, dental hygienists are at elevated risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, compared with other professions. The use of handpieces with hoses and/or cords can negatively impact the ergonomics of dental hygiene practice. They add significant weight to an instrument and cause cord drag, in which additional resistance to motion is likely to increase muscle workload. 

ELIMINATING HEAVY CORD DRAG

Pac-Dent ProMate CL cordless prophy system is designed to provide clinicians with an ergonomic handpiece that delivers independence from heavy cord drag, dual-mode speed control, and operator comfort during prophylaxis procedures. Older low-speed handpieces included heavy motors at one end, thus requiring unnecessary leverage just to control the unbalanced weight during each dental procedure. Optimally balanced and lightweight, ProMate CL does not need tubing, and it relieves wrist stress caused by cord drag, reducing the workload on the wrist and hands. Its cordless design further improves intraoral access, especially for hard-to-reach posterior teeth.

STRINGENT INFECTION CONTROL

ProMate CL prophy handpiece provides the flexibility of using any preferred disposable prophy angle on the market, avoiding the risk of cross-contamination infection and reducing costs by eliminating the need to purchase multiple handpieces. The sterilizable outer sheath is steam autoclavable in compliance with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) sterilization and infection control guidelines. The outer sheath is a sterilizable protective cover that acts as a barrier to the internal motor component. It houses the bearings and provides an interface between a disposable prophy angle and the handpiece. The autoclavable outer sheath features an onboard, multifunction button for power and rotation speed control. 

Aiming to simplify cleaning and to adhere to CDC guidelines, a disposable polyethylene barrier is available to cover the handpiece, which protects the inner module from contact with patients’ oral fluids. The base, handpiece, and AC adapter can be all cleaned using any CDC-approved, intermediate-level disinfectant wipe.

CONTROL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS (OR TOES)

With a dual-mode speed control interface, the ProMate CL prophy handpiece offers the choice between adjusting its six-speed settings by handpiece control or Bluetooth foot pedal. The ergonomically located button can be used to switch between the handpiece’s different speeds by either a single, long press or holding it down to cycle through all six speeds. Alternatively, the clinician may progressively press the cordless foot pedal to select the desired speed. ProMate CL varies from 0 RPM to 4,000 RPM, which is comparable to air-driven handpieces, providing the highest cordless prophy handpiece speed on the market. 

BATTERY THAT WORKS AS HARD AS YOU DO

ProMate CL comes with a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery, ensuring enough energy to provide torque and speed suitable for high performance polishing procedures and long-lasting battery power. The inductive charging base allows the handpiece to be placed into the charger without hard connections and features an easy-to-read charging LED status display. At full charge, the handpiece can perform up to 10 consecutive polishes, while the foot pedal can operate continuously for up to 72 hours. A quick 20-minute charge is enough for one prophylactic procedure when the battery is completely discharged. The handpiece and foot pedal automatically shut off after 5 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery power.

CONCLUSION 

With so many prophy handpieces on the market, the real strength of Pac-Dent ProMate CL cordless handpiece is its combination of desirable features, including low noise; light weight; well-balanced; dual-mode speed control; and longlasting battery life. Overall, this powerful new device from Pac-Dent represents a long-awaited addition to the company’s full line of prophy devices and products.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. June 2021;19(6):22-23.