Pressure Test Gauges

The most prevalent cause of poor operation of dental handpieces, and high costs of dental handpiece repair: is poor air-station regulation. Dental Handpieces need to have the input air pressure properly regulated.


This is a major factor for the quality of operation and the longevity of your dental handpieces. If your pressure is under that it should be, the handpiece is working too hard to get the same job done: and much too slowly. If the pressure is too high the torque does not increase dramatically, but wear on the handpiece does.

Proper air-driven (pneumatic) handpiece testing should be done regularly, AT the tail-end of dental handpieces, to ensure well running tools, and a minimization of dental handpiece repairs. The handpiece air station gauges, those that come with most air-units, are notorious liars: showing pressures off as much as 15 to 20 psi. Occasionally we see an accurate one, but they are rare, after the unit is a couple or more years old.
Image: Handpiece Testing Gauge

We recommend that you get a proper air-pressure dental handpiece testing gauge, and test your stations, at first at least once every 2 weeks, (and more often if you see large changes in the pressures) and thereafter, once monthly. The air pressure should be checked at each connector at the operatory station, disconnecting your handpieces, putting a handpiece pressure gauge in-line, reconnecting the handpiece to the gauge. The cost of one gauge? Less than the price of one turbine repair, and less than 1/3 the price of a new turbine.

Setting the pressure on your handpiece air station is typically a matter of turning a jet-screw with a hex wrench to reach the proper output setting: a matter of seconds. This IS something that handpiece maintenance staff, and dental assistants can do in a minute, and should do as a normal office/operatory maintenance procedure.

By regulating the air pressure properly you gain two distinct benefits:

  • the handpiece will operate considerably better when operated within the air-pressure parameters for which it was designed, and
  • it will last much longer before requiring an overhaul, rebuild or other dental handpiece repair.

Canada Handpiece has quality Handpiece Air Pressure Gauges available.

Above is a steel-cased (maximum 160 psi) gauge by Ashcroft, the gauge specialist, and comes with a standard 5 hole stainless steel connector, typically requiring no adaptors or accessories. The average dental handpieces run at a little over 32psi, (and a high is about 40 psi, see psi chart here or below)so it's sufficient for all handpiece testing for air-pressure needs. It is easy to use, and takes the same time to set up as it does to couple a handpiece to an airline. The gauge should last a life-time, and we guarantee that it stays within factory parameters for 5 years. A deal at $124.95, and the best way to treat your dental handpieces to the proper air-pressured operational environment.