Now that ceramic bearings have been around a few years I would like to share some observations concerning their maintenance.Initially ceramic bearings are sold to the hand piece repair technician as not needing any lubrication because they are sealed. Because of this we were selling them to you as no lube bearings.They do last longer than the stainless steel bearings. However most sealed ceramic bearings that I see in my repairs are lasting between one to six months.Example: I have one client that will not lube their hand pieces. With stainless steel bearings their repair would last about four to six weeks. After converting them to ceramic bearings their service rate has increased to six to seven months. I have another client that has the Star 430 drill and also won't lube their hand pieces. Probably because the Star is sold as a no lube hand piece. Using ABEC7 rated ceramic bearings in their repair they get about six weeks service. This is a terrible amount of time with a very good bearing.Consider lubing your ceramic no lube bearings.I have several clients who lubricate their drills before and after sterilizing.These clients are getting twelve to fourteen months between rebuilds using the same bearings and the same drills. The best procedure seems to be to put three or four drops of hand piece oil in the air hole and one or two drops in the chuck. Then run the hand piece until all oil is expelled. Next sterilize and then lube it again before storage. This is just a bit more work but if you can cut your rebuild expenses in half it is well worth it. I am recommending this procedure to all of my clients.I have some thoughts as to why. If you are a service provider and have some input on this, please comment or email at links@bauerdentalhandpiecerepair.com.Inspecting the bearings that are failing prematurely, I am finding the seal on the bearing is warped slightly allowing the lube to be released. The "O" rings are hard and sometimes allowing air to leak through. Is it possible that the air pressure is being adjusted to compensate for a bad "O" ring in the hand piece. If so this would explane the Star 430 with the bearings sheared off at the inner race after only six weeks.Keeping the air pressure to the correct setting is critical. Lubricating the hand piece as described above will keep the "O" rings pliable and maintain the correct air seal. Also the drills that use clips and washers will stay cleaner. The chuck and impeller will run smoother causing less stress on the bearings. Also if the seal still warps the lube can get to the bearings extending their life. This question was posed to me. "Why did the drill last over a year when it was new and the rebuild does not?" Good question.The answer is, If you go to the manufacturer and purchase the original turbine you will pay dearly for it. This is because the original bearings are of superior quality and are manufactured to the manufacturers specifications. The after market bearings are made by the same companies but can only be supplied to the manufacturer to be supplied to you at the higher cost. The after market bearings are also high quality but are less expensive so a rebuild is affordable.Compare a manufacturers new turbine at $250.00 or more to a rebuild with ceramic replacements for $65.00. With a bit more maintenance your drills will last longer and your repair costs will be kept to a minimum.Visit our website at http://www.bauerdentalhandpiecerepair.com

read more: Dental Handpiece Repair Using Ceramic Bearings