Ceramic Bearing Replacement in an experienced Dental Handpiece

There was a time when the hand piece repair specialist would have been offered ceramic bearings on the promise that they would never need lubrication because they came pre-lubricated and sealed. This is why we advertised them as "no lube" bearings when we sold them to you.

They do have a longer lifespan than the previously used stainless steel bearings. But in my experience, oral surgical handpiece repair ceramic bearings often only survive between one and six months after being repaired.

One of my customers, for instance, never puts oil on their hand tools. Changing replacing the old bearings for new stainless steel ones would take roughly four to six weeks. Their previous service life of three months has risen to six or seven months after being retrofitted with ceramic bearings. Though, this varies considerably by make and application.

Another one of my customers never uses hand tool lubricant. This is probably due to the fact that they were misinformed about the hand piece's lubrication requirements. A repair using ABEC7 ceramic bearings extends their useful life by around six weeks. The bearing is excellent, but the amount of time is horrendous.

If you use the same bearings and drills, these customers can go considerably longer before needing a rebuild. Three or four drops of hand piece oil in the air hole and one or two drips in the chuck appear to be the optimal amount. Then, operate the dental handpiece to force out any remaining oil. When finished, disinfect it and re-lubricate it for storage.

I've given considerable attention to the issue and come up with some possible answers at www.qualitydentalservices.com. When I look at the prematurely failing bearings, I see that the seal is slightly warped, letting the lube out. In some cases, air can escape through the "O" ring located in the hand piece's head. Is it possible that the "O" ring in the hand piece is failing, and thus the air pressure is being altered to make up for it?