Peer to Peer: iProphy Air

Find out why Schelli Stedke, RDH, MDH, RYT, CHC, believes that NSK’s iProphy Air:

• Is an excellent slow-speed handpiece thanks to its 360° swivel, quiet operation, and ergonomic design
• Can ultimately lead to more daily comfort for the hygienist, less risk of injury, and greater job satisfaction

Dental hygiene is a physical profession that is extremely hard on the body. In fact, research shows that up to 96% of dental professionals report job-related musculoskeletal pain at some point during their career. Within this group, hygienists report more discomfort than any other type of dental professional—especially in the wrist and neck areas.

For this reason, it’s important to have the most ergonomically advantageous instruments in hand, especially instruments that are used frequently. An excellent slow-speed handpiece choice is NSK’s iProphy Air, which is designed to be 15% lighter and 10% shorter than competing hygiene handpieces. The fact that the handpiece is 15% lighter is significant, as is its precise micromachining that reduces vibration. This means increased comfort for the patient, as well as less hand and arm fatigue at the end of the day for the hygienist.

iProphy Air: Quiet & Comfortable

Unique 360° swivel technology built into the handpiece provides excellent maneuverability during use, a feature that helps hygienists access smaller and hard-to-reach areas more easily without having excess drag on the handpiece. Additionally, the swivel allows the hygienist to maintain proper ergonomic positioning by allowing the hand and wrist to remain in a neutral position during use.

Repetitive or long-term exposure to noise pollution can lead to hearing damage for hygienists, a hazard that the iProphy Air’s extremely quiet motor helps alleviate. This quiet factor is great for the average adult patient—especially those with increased dental anxiety—as well as pediatric patients and those with special needs who may be alarmed by loud noises.

A Reputation for Ergonomics

NSK is a company known for manufacturing quality high-speed handpieces, and the same attention to detail was employed in making this excellent slow-speed handpiece for hygienists. All hygienists use a slow-speed handpiece for every patient, so having one that is of good quality is important. It will ultimately lead to more comfort for the hygienist, less risk of injury long term, and greater job satisfaction.