Sabra 105 Air-driven Handpiece
Sabra Dental Products
The Sabra 105 handpiece combines the advantages of large-head turbine technology with optimal access and visibility.
Sabra Dental Products describes its new Sabra 105 as the first truly redesigned handpiece in 30 years, offering a significant design change to satisfy the 3 critical aspects of handpiece use: access, visibility, and torque. And according to the manufacturer, the Sabra 105 has the same quality as the general high-quality handpieces on the market today, but costs about 30% less.
Because of its patented design—a straight, stainless steel body and 105-degree head angulation— the Sabra 105 provides the benefits of a large-head turbine without sacrificing access and visibility.
Cutting Performance
The Sabra 105 features higher torque along with smoother, quieter, more concentric cutting— all benefits of a large-head turbine.
When the 11 dentists who took part in this were asked about cutting performance, 3 rated it as excellent, 3 rated it as very good, and 5 rated it as good. One evaluator described cutting power as “fair.” One of the 3 dentists who would have liked more torque noted that “for an airdriven handpiece it performed better than most,” adding that “the torque could be improved as cutting through non-precious metals and zirconia was difficult.” Three evaluators cited cutting performance as the feature they liked most, noting that it “cuts very well,” saying it “has good cutting efficiency,” and describing it as “a really powerful handpiece.”
According to the manufacturer, the Sabra 105’s 54.3-decibel noise level makes it one of the quietest air-driven handpiece in dentistry. Noise level was rated as excellent by 1 evaluator, as very good by 5, as good by 4, and as fair by 1, with 3 evaluators citing noise reduction as the feature they liked most.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is optimized by a full, single-port, non-clogging water spray, as well as a quick disconnect for ease of maintenance and lubrication. The unit’s swivel feature and lightweight well-balanced body reduces hand and wrist fatigue, and the Sabra 105 is the only handpiece to receive the “acceptable” rating from GEPEC, a worldwide dental ergonomics association.
One dentist, who reported that he would probably purchase and recommend the handpiece, said he “had trouble with water control” and another said “the slits make it hard to clean after each use, which adds more work.”
Ergonomics was rated as very good by 7 evaluators, as good by 2, and as poor by 2. One dentist said the handpiece “wasn’t comfortable to use…it felt heavier because of the stiff coupler/ hose area” and another found it “too heavy compared to other brands.” An evaluator who gave the handpiece an overall rating of fair noted that “the swivel technology wasn’t smooth and the weight, when attached, was cumbersome.” He went on to note that “the balance wasn’t up to the level of what I’m using, possibly due to the angle of the head to create access instead of angling the shaft.” Three other evaluators cited comfort/ergonomics as the feature they liked most.
Access and Visibility
The Sabra 105’s straight body and 105-degree angled head enables excellent visibility throughout the oral cavity while facilitating access even in tight spaces.
Access with the handpiece was rated as excellent by 2 evaluators, as very good by 5, as good by 3, and as fair by 1. Visibility was rated as excellent by 2 evaluators, as very good by 8, and as fair by 1.
Four dentists suggested a smaller head; 1 noted that it “isn’t offset at all” and another said a smaller head would “facilitate access to the upper posterior teeth.” One evaluator described the angle of the handpiece as “too straight.” Three additional evaluators identified the angle of the Sabra 105 as the feature they liked most, noting its usefulness for Class 2 and 3 restorations, reporting that it “enables easier access to the most distal posterior areas,” and stating that “the angled head made it easy to visualize the field.”
Overall Satisfaction
Overall satisfaction with the Sabra 105 was rated as excellent by 1 evaluator, as very good by 5, as good by 2, and as fair by 3. One evaluator called it “much better than I expected” and another said, “great torque, great speed, and low noise describes this high-end handpiece.”
