DENTSPLY MidWest
Midwest Automate
Midwest Automate extends turbine life and maximizes handpiece precision by eliminating the guesswork of hand maintenance.
I love this machine, "said a Florida dentist who described DENTSPLY Midwest Automate as much better than similar products. "I have saved money on turbines and the maintenance is being done."
Midwest Automate is an automated handpiece maintenance system designed to extend turbine life and maximize handpiece performance with more precision and efficacy than hand maintenance.
Eleven dentists, all of them current users of Midwest Automate, participated in this evaluation and rated time savings, ease of use, and increased handpiece turbine life.
Time Savings
Manufacturer Description: When compared to manual maintenance, automatic maintenance with Midwest Automate greatly reduces the time required for proper handpiece maintenance, increasing practice efficiency.
Evaluator Feedback: Most of the evaluators identified time savings as the feature they liked most about Midwest Automate. One of these dentists, who said she'd been "very pleased" with her previous system but purchased Midwest Automate because she "liked the fact that it could maintain chuck and had more than one port," said, "[We] can clean and oil multiple handpieces at once."
When asked what they'd like to see improved, a few evaluators commented on the amount of oil expressed, including one dentist who said he "has to stop in the middle of the procedure to change out gloves" because the "oil is not completely flushed after the cycle is complete." This same evaluator went on to call Midwest Automate much better than similar products. Nine evaluators rated time savings as excellent and the remaining 2 rated it as very good or good.
Ease of Use
Manufacturer Description: Midwest Automate's ease of use is maximized by an intuitive, easy-access keypad, which includes start buttons for general processing and chuck maintenance, as well as indicators for power, aerosol spray can status, number of activated ports, and chuck maintenance. The secure, automatic spray is engaged only when the system is in use, reducing the risk of leaking propellant, and safety magnets ensure that a maintenance cycle runs only when the door is securely closed.
The dedicated chuck-cleaning port cleans and lubricates chucks for easy insertion and removal of rotary instruments, and an absorbent lining keeps oil from spilling onto countertops while sealing in fumes and odors. The system also includes a flat working surface to free up counter space.
Evaluator Feedback: Ninety-two percent of the evaluators rated ease of use as excellent or very good, with comments such as, "I liked the ease of using the machine," and, "staff can do the handpieces with no mess or complaints."
"It makes things very easy," said a dentist who has been using the system for more than a year, and described it as much better than similar products. Another evaluator, who has been a Midwest Automate user for less than 6 months, identified ease of use and the "uniform amount of lubricant for each handpiece" as the features he liked most.
When asked what they'd like to see improved, a few evaluators commented on the noise level, with remarks such as, "It's a little loud," made by one dentist who said he would definitely purchase the system again and recommend it to colleagues.
Increased Handpiece Turbine Life
Manufacturer Description: Cleaning and lubrication are critical to the performance and durability of high-speed handpieces, and should involve effective debris removal and the expression of excess lubricant. Midwest Automate reduces the variability and eliminates the guesswork of manual maintenance by delivering precise preset amounts of lubricant, and providing accurate expel times and constant air pressure. A handpiece-count sensor efficiently processes one or multiple handpieces and, because of an extensive line of adapters and maintenance couplers, the system accommodates not only Midwest handpieces, but also a wide range of airturbine handpieces from several manufacturers (KaVo, W&H, Sirona, Bien Air, StarDental, and NSK).
