Sandblasters - REALITY Publishing Company

Sandblasters
REALITY’S CHOICES
1.
Microetcher II/Microetcher IIA
Danville Engineering
2.
Dento-Prep
Rønvig
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
The Ratings
1081
Sandblasters
Tips
Product
Cost
Microetcher II
$209.95
Microetcher IIA
Danville Engineering
Dento-Prep
Rønvig
$269.95
$279.95
Length
with Tip
7.0in/
17.8cm
6.5in/
16.5cm
Weight
Filled 75%
Autoclavable
3.4oz/
93.6g
Tips only
5.1oz/
144.6g
Yes
5.9oz/
167.3g
Yes
It is now well-established that roughening dental materials
through sandblasting helps to increase their adhesion to other
materials and to tooth structure. Products in this category are simple, portable units that use your office compressor for power via a
quick disconnect in each treatment room.
These units have many uses including roughening porcelain or
composite prior to making intraoral repairs, roughening any indirect bonded restoration (resin, ceramic, or metal) prior to
cementation with a resin cement, and roughening the internal surfaces of conventional crowns, inlays, etc. to increase the bond
strength to traditional cements.
What is the correct air pressure to operate these devices?
Originally, the recommended operating pressure was 60-100psi.
Now, with handpiece airline adapters available as an alternative to
the quick disconnects, sandblasting can be performed at pressures
as low as 30psi. Even though there is preliminary evidence that a
specific air pressure may not be critical for optimal bond strengths,
1082
The Ratings
No.
Bore Size
Angles
360°
0°
60°
90°
120°
9.0ft/
2.7m
360°
60°
10.75ft/
3.3m
0.048in/
1.2mm
4–6
1
0.032in/
0.8mm
0.048in/
1.2mm
Length of
Air Line
Rotate
the data is too limited to make a definitive determination at this
time.
Indeed, we may find that different materials require different
pressures. For example, composite, due to its relative softness, may
achieve its highest bond strengths after being sandblasted at 30psi
while porcelain may require 60psi. However, higher air pressures
(60-100psi) will complete a task more quickly. To get 60-100psi
air pressure, the connection to your air supply should be made
prior to the pressure reducer in a typical dental unit.
The ability to connect a sandblaster to a handpiece airline
allows maximum portability without any installation whatsoever.
But you must remove a handpiece to accommodate its connection, unless you have an unused airline in your dental unit.
Therefore, the aforementioned quick disconnect, installed into
your dental unit, is probably the best solution for portability and
convenience.
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
Sandblasters
Microetcher II/Microetcher IIA
Danville Engineering
www.daneng.com (4.5)
1
REALITY’S
CHOICES
Microetcher II
Cost: $209.95
Microetcher IIA
Cost: $269.95
Quick Disconnect Kit
Cost: $30.95
Optional Tips
Cost: $44.95–$59.95
FDA Clearance: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
What if it needs repairs? Send back to Danville.
Is there a loaner program? No.
Length with tip
7.0in/17.8cm
Best tips
Can vary pressure with activation button
What happened to the nice plastic case?
Make sure you order the right tips
Description
Available in both the regular version or the totally autoclavable
model. Metal body has a moderately shiny finish. Its head is
designed to swivel 360° to facilitate sandblasting in all areas of the
mouth. There are no devices that need to be pushed or pulled to
accomplish this rotation.
The large activation button is on the left side of the body of the
instrument, about two inches behind the tip. This position is
designed to allow right-handed operators to activate the
Microetcher with their thumbs, but forces left-handed dentists to
use their index or middle fingers. You can, however, order a lefthanded model, which has the activation button on the right side
of the body. Between the button and body is an exposed wire
spring that is difficult to clean. However, you can regulate the
pressure as much as you prefer by the force you apply to the button.
The clear, plastic powder reservoir is located at the bottom, rear
of the unit. Two reservoirs are packaged with both models, which
make it convenient if you want to use more than one type of abrasive. The reservoir screws into a fixed metal cap, which is
permanently attached to the body, on the IIA, but just slips onto
the body on the II. The reservoir is easily removed for filling. The
gray opaque plastic air tubing screws onto the back end of the unit
and measures slightly over 9.0ft/2.7m.
Weight
Microetcher II
Microetcher IIA
Empty
75% full
2.5oz/70.9g
4.2oz/119.1g
3.4oz/93.6g
5.1oz/144.6g
Number of tips
There are six listed on the price list, but we received only four to
evaluate. At least one tip (.048/60° Slim Profile) appears to be listed
on two different price sheets with two different product numbers.
So when you order, be sure you know what you are getting.
Angle of tips
Stainless steel/carbide tip 60°
Aluminum/carbide tip
0°, 60°, 90°, and 120°
Bore size of tips
0.048in/1.2mm
0.032in/0.8mm
Air Line Connection
None is provided with the instrument; these are available a la carte
from the manufacturer.
Cleaning and Sterilizing
There are virtually no cleaning instructions except for purging the
sand inside the device.
Microetcher II The tips are autoclavable. Body can be immersed
in glutaraldehyde for 10 hours, followed by rinsing thoroughly
with water.
Microetcher IIA Autoclave.
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
The Ratings
1083
Sandblasters
Packaging
Cardboard box with white plastic tray securing the contents, with
recesses in the white tray for the optional tips.
2
Directions
Coated paper booklet, six pages. Includes a single sheet of paper
with instructions for o-ring replacement. Information is brief and
cleaning instructions before autoclaving are virtually nonexistent.
Dento-Prep
Rønvig
(4.0)
Cost: $279.95
Warranty: 2 years
What if it needs repairs? Contact dealer or Ronvig.
Autoclavable
Tip rotates 360°
Angle of tip may not fit all situations
Only one tip
Description
With a satin-polished, stainless steel body, its nozzle is permanently attached to the body and rotates 360° to facilitate
sandblasting in all areas of the mouth. There are no devices that
need to be pushed or pulled to accomplish this rotation, which is
very easy.
The small activation button is on the left side of the body of
the instrument, about two inches behind the tip. This position is
designed to allow right-handed operators to activate the instrument with their thumbs, but forces left-handed dentists to use
their index or middle fingers. However, there is a left-handed
model available. The button is virtually flush with the body, with
no exposed springs or other working parts. Once the unit is pressurized, the button extends slightly out from the body. It is quite
easy to push the button, but you cannot regulate the pressure by
pushing it just part of the way. It’s either on full blast or it’s off.
The semi-translucent, frosted plastic powder reservoir is located at the bottom, center of the unit. This position gives it a
comfortable and controllable pistol grip. The plastic reservoir
screws into a fixed metal cap, which is permanently attached to the
body. The reservoir is easily removed for filling, but it is somewhat
difficult to judge the powder level through the semi-translucent
plastic.
The translucent blue-green plastic air tubing enters the unit
from the rear via a quick disconnect metal coupler and measures
about 10.75ft/3.3m.
1084
The Ratings
Is there a loaner program? No.
Length with tip
6.5in/16.5cm
Weight
Empty
75% full
5.1oz/144.6g
5.9oz/167.3g
Number of tips
One
Angle of tip
60°
Bore size of tip
0.048in/1.2mm
Air Line Connection
None is provided with the instrument; these are available a la carte
from the manufacturer.
Cleaning and Sterilizing
No specific cleaning instructions other than “clean the surface of
the device” and not immersing it in any type of liquid.
Sterilization should be by autoclave.
Packaging
Secured in blue foam inside a cardboard sleeve.
Directions
Coated paper sheet, brief but straightforward. No real useful
information on cleaning the device before autoclaving.
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
Sandblasters
REALITY
ChapterSubHeading
The Microetcher II has been the standard against
which all other sandblasters are compared. It has revolutionized how we perform numerous procedures,
giving us the ability to achieve much more reliable
adhesion between all kinds of materials than prior to
its introduction. It has few faults, operates well, and is
the only model with different angled tips for precise
sandblasting anywhere in the mouth without unsteady
hand positions or asking the patient to open uncomfortably wide.
However, as noted in its product commentary under
Number of Tips, you need to be careful when ordering.
The tips have two sections: the wider part that screws
onto the body of the instrument and then the actual
“nose”, which has two different bore sizes and several
angles. The wider part is either stainless steel or aluminum. The stainless steel, which is presumably more
clog-free, has the familiar silver color of metal, while
the aluminum is black. All the aluminum sections are
round in cross-section, whereas the stainless steel models either come in the same round profile as the aluminum or in a slimmer version that is called either
“Slim Profile” or “High Efficiency”, depending on the
document.
We assume this slimmer tip is called “High
Efficiency” since it is smaller in cross-section (it has flattened rather than round sides) and presumably creates
a different vortex of air and sand. However, when we
sandblasted nonprecious alloy with both tips, we could
see a slightly rougher surface under the stereomicroscope at 63x. And, since both of these stainless steel
tips cost the same, the slimmer one is the one to buy as
it gives you better access to the sandblasting area and
doesn’t block your line of sight.
For intraoral use, the Microetcher IIA is the better
choice since it is totally autoclavable. It also has a
screw-on attachment for the powder reservoir, which is
much more secure than the push-on design of its older
sibling. It can even be used with a wet abrasive.
Both models have their activation buttons controlled by a low-tech, exposed spring that is difficult to
clean. However, this design can regulate the pressure
at which you are operating the instrument. This gives
you maximum control over it and allows you to sandblast at a lower pressure if necessary.
Dento-Prep is a precision, sleek instrument that has
been refined to eliminate as many seams and crevices
as possible. It has a very precise and well directed spray,
minimal excess of unwanted powder dispersion, less
clogging, solid construction, total autoclavability, and
easy sterilization with its quick disconnect hose. This
quick disconnect also allows you to have a hose in each
treatment room already connected to the airline.
When it is needed, you merely bring the Dento-Prep
into the treatment room and connect it to the hose.
This eliminates having to unplug and store the hose
every time you are finished using the sandblaster.
In addition, the center position of the reservoir
allows you to stand the Dento-Prep upright instead of
having to lay it down as you would with the
Microetcher II. The upright position prevents sand
from leaking out when you are not using it. When all
these attributes are added up from a pure performance standpoint, the Dento-Prep is tough to beat. Its
almost seamless body is also very easy to keep clean
and its tip rotates with very little effort.
However, it is slightly heavier than the Microetcher
IIA and only has one tip, whose angle cannot be
changed to accommodate different clinical situations.
In addition, you cannot regulate the pressure via the
activation button — it’s either on or it’s off. While this
is not as much of an issue in the lab, intraoral sandblasting can require more finesse and less than full
pressure at times.
OTHER PRODUCTS IN THIS CATEGORY
Aeroetcher
Parkell
Sand Storm Dental Blasting System
Vaniman
Handiblaster
Mirage
Ultra-Blaster
Ultradent
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
The Ratings
1085