The dental industry accommodates affordable and durable dental equipment daily to equip clinics. While choosing the best portable dental unit, we need help from tons of brands, hundreds of pieces of equipment, and thousands of words from sellers and manufacturers. This guide is a blueprint for every dentist who dreams of making his clinic as comfortable and convenient as possible.
If you are searching for the right portable dental unit for your practice, you might simultaneously be confused, overwhelmed, and excited. For many dentists in your shoes, investing in an already-established clinic with a huge patient base looks like a smart idea. But, unfortunately, nobody will guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain that success level and work threshold because of the numerous factors involved, such as hurdles to creating income and potential decline.
When buying mobile dental equipment, you must analyze the possibility of growing that practice. This means navigating complicated business endeavors, marketing your personal brand successfully, and getting leads. While your goal is to accomplish a healthy ROI you must be sure that your investment is a sound decision. In this guide, we will provide important insights into how you should choose the right portable dental unit for your practice.
What is a Portable Dental Unit?
A portable dental unit is a dental practice equipment with a huge range of services for a dentist’s work. Also, you can use it for several other purposes, like providing permanent or temporary patient support. They are mainly used for periodontal treatment, oral surgery, and tooth extractions. When choosing the best portable dental unit for your clinic, it’s crucial to consider what specific features you need in your device and how you will use it. Dentists are opting for portable dental units for their easy-to-carry capability and convenience. Only an expert can find out what size, set of functions, and configuration a portable dental unit should have, considering all the nuances and installation principles that will be useful to him in his routine work. It’s best to do a dental unit comparison before choosing one.
What is the difference between a dental unit and a dental chair?
Dental units are usually known as dental chairs but have different features. A dental chair is only a component of a dental unit. The equipment installation may differ from one unit to another because there are some general trends. Almost all dental units have an instrument holder with tools and aspiration equipment necessary for better patient care. These consist of:
- Scalers
- An air gun for drying a particular area in the mouth
- And other handpieces including contra-angles, turbines, and micromotors to quickly drill a tooth
The patient chair is a crucial part of the dental unit; this is where a dentist consults the patient and examines the teeth. For all dental chairs, you can adjust the inclination and height of the seat and the position of the headrest according to you. Other important components of a dental unit are:
- Aspiring tools that enable saliva to be aspirated around the sublingual glands
- The scialytic lamp enables a dentist to have a clear, shadow-free view of a patient’s mouth
- The spittoon for patients to rinse out their mouth after providing the dental care
- The pedal with which a dentist can activate the instruments
All reusable tools must be sterilized after each patient. Many items are single-use and disposable.
How does a dental unit operate?
There are several things to consider:
Water supply: you must connect your dental unit to a water supply to utilize rinse, clean, and cooling functions. Water can lead to many problems in dental units, such as sand, limescale, rust, chlorine, or sludge. Bacterial biofilms can also appear on the inner surfaces of associated containers and pipes. To avoid these complications, it’s crucial to have an easily clean, accessible, and well-organized water shut-off device in your office. Old taps located behind furniture should be avoided. Generally, you have an easily accessible valve to shut off the water every evening. For controlling limescale in installations, silicophosphate cartridges limit deposits and stay for almost six months.
Compressed air supply: dental units usually use systems that need compressed air supply. For this purpose, they are linked to a centralized network of compressed air or an air compressor. A normal compressor delivers from 8 to 10 bar of pressure at the tank outlet, which is way too high for dental equipment. Thus, it’s necessary to connect a piece of medical dental equipment to between 4.5 to 5.5 bar pressure, according to the recommendations by manufacturers, by inserting, such as at the compressor outlet, a potential filter with a pressure regulator. Better insulation of the dental office is crucial.
Ergonomics: the movement of the dental unit is also important. Research suggests that when you work with an instrument tray that is placed on the articulated arm above the patient’s chest, it is an ideal way to have a balanced position for treatment and making it easy to see the surfaces of all teeth. The assistant’s or a dentist’s seat must be lower than a patient’s chair. This way, the dentist’s spine stays in its natural curvature, which also precludes prolonged pressure on the inter-vertebral discs.
Power supply: some instruments and major components of a portable dental unit used for dental treatment need a power supply. For instance, some dental chairs or micro-motors should be connected to a power supply to operate.
What important portable dental unit features should be considered when buying one?
For optimal functionality of portable dental units, it is essential to consider the following three key aspects:
- Spatial Requirements: The dimensions of the area designated for the installation of a dental unit significantly influence both the quantity and arrangement of its components. This factor dictates whether a compact or more extensive system configuration is feasible.
- Application Scope: Dental care encompasses a variety of specialties, such as endodontics, periodontics, and implantology, among others. Certain dental units are specifically tailored for specialized practices, like orthodontics. Therefore, it is crucial to factor in the range of dental services provided when deciding on the configuration of instrument holders within the unit.
- Mobility Considerations: The need for a mobile dental unit is vital for practitioners. Portable dental care units, compact enough to be accommodated in a suitcase of approximately ten kilograms, are available. These units often include an integrated air compressor, enabling the use of compressed air handpieces. Such portable units are particularly advantageous for specific missions or for use in mobile dental clinics.
What Options are available for portable dental units?
Regarding the available features for dental units, the industry offers a range of sophisticated options to enhance the functionality and efficiency of dental practices:
- Integrated Video Monitoring and X-Ray Generation: Advanced dental units may include built-in video monitors and x-ray generators. The inclusion of intraoral phosphor plate X-ray systems in these units facilitates instantaneous image acquisition. This technology is capable of producing panoramic and orthodontic radiographs. Notably, some manufacturers have developed cutting-edge solutions that ensure images of high contrast and precision, while maintaining low levels of radiation exposure.
- Portable X-Ray Generators: For scenarios where fixed X-ray generators are not accessible, portable X-ray generators present a viable alternative. These devices are especially useful for conducting intraoral X-rays in various settings, offering flexibility and convenience.
- Adoption of Digital Dentistry: An increasing number of dental professionals are embracing digital dentistry technologies. This advancement allows for rapid acquisition of panoramic, orthodontic, or 3D images, significantly enhancing patient experience and practice efficiency. Digital dentistry represents a pivotal shift towards more streamlined and technologically advanced dental care services.
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