In vitro study of anti-suck-back ability by themselves on new high-speed air turbine handpieces

Abstract

The anti-suck-back ability of five new high-speed air turbine handpiece models was evaluated in this study. First, suck-back pressure with water displacement within a glass tube was measured. Next, under three different conditions, how many on-off times it takes before fluorescent stains became visible on a piece of gauze at the exhaust vent was counted and the presence of fluorescent stains on the exhaust vents itself was examined. As a result, the water height for each part of one handpiece, the TWINPOWER TURBINE PAR-4HX-O, was below 0 mm. Except for under full emersion, this model, the TWINPOWER TURBINE PAR-4HX-O, did not have any visible fluorescence penetration to the exhaust vent even after 500 on-off switches under fume/mist conditions. Conversely, the other handpieces (Ti-Max X700L, T1 CONTROL, SYNEA TA-98CLED, GENTLE silence LUX 8000B) showed suck-back. In conclusion, the first mentioned new turbine handpiece, the TWINPOWER TURBINE PAR-4HX-O, had a possibility of no suck-back by itself. However, full immersion of the whole head of the handpiece which is not completely sealed must be avoided to prevent liquid intake.