Trunk Fiber

[Glenn van As]

Allen I couldnt agree with you more. I do know that I havent had to do much to my laser, change filter packs (yearly maintenance) change tips as the degrade, change one foot pedal, and recently change the arm on my laser that supports the fiber.

ALl minor stuff, no major headaches.

I do know that with time I will need to change the fiber but its still good after 3 years.

Not bad huh.

Glenn

[dkimmel]

Al, Thanks for the heads up. I had no clue about a service contact. Would have been nice to know at the time of sale. It is my fault but being a dentist friendly company you think they would have informed us!!
David

[Swpmn]

Glenn:

I knew that you would agree with me as we have discussed the maintenance issue time and time again. Both of us are on a mission to help other dentists seek the truth and to foster an improved, long term relationship between dentists and dental laser companies.

Al

[Swpmn]

David:

Your experience is quite common.

Somehow we need to get the word out that dentists need to ask the laser company about service beyond the warranty period and also encourage companies to discuss this at the sale.

Look at it this way: My laser is two years old. In three years it will be obsolete. At some point I will need to purchase a new laser.

Do you see where I am going?

Al

[newgen]

Hi all,
This is my 1st post here. I’ve had the Waterlase for about 4 months now, and have always had the problem of “red light seen at the tip, water sprays out, but no popping sound”. Technician came a couple times, gave a loaner handpiece, that lasted for a couple weeks, then had the same problem recur. Sad to say, but when the laser was delivered, nobody mentioned anything about how to care for the machine, and nothing was said about extended insurance when I was talking to them before purchasing it. Of course, I should’ve asked, but they should’ve said something as well. Please correct me if I misunderstand the posts in this thread, it’s recommended that I do 2 things to prevent this trunk fiber from failing. [1] do the water purge and [2] do not move the laser around too much. Is it absolutely contraindicated that the laser be transported in your car? Is that how things can break? I just looked through the end of the handpiece and indeed saw the black dot. Is that from the laser being re-directed at itself because it was aimed at a shiny surface (amalgam)? I know the laser can’t cut amalgam, so I never did that, but I just don’t know how my handpiece got that black dot. Thanks so much for any input! I’m not too happy about having this machine and not being able to use it much.

Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE

Quote: from newgen on 2:09 pm on Mar. 19, 2003
Please correct me if I misunderstand the posts in this thread, it’s recommended that I do 2 things to prevent this trunk fiber from failing. [1] do the water purge and [2] do not move the laser around too much. Is it absolutely contraindicated that the laser be transported in your car?Is that how things can break?

The water purge is very important as well as running air when changing tips. We only move our machine about 2 feet in the morning and end of the day. I think the concern isn’t so much about breaking with movement , but rather misalignment. We also unplug the unit from the wall at the end of the day.
After talking to Bryon Pope at the ALD meeting, we also start up the machine and leave it run 5-10 minutes each morning before using it. Seemed like a good idea since most other tempermental things are usuallly allowed to ‘warm up’.

QUOTE

I just looked through the end of the handpiece and indeed saw the black dot. Is that from the laser being re-directed at itself because it was aimed at a shiny surface (amalgam)? I know the laser can’t cut amalgam, so I never did that, but I just don’t know how my handpiece got that black dot.

Watch out for metal from crowns, porcelain, certain old composites.  Sectional matrices don’t seem to be a problem, right Al?

Kind of surprised the tech’s hadn’t changed the trunk fiber for you.

Anyone using APC Back UPS to condition their power supply and prevent  immediate shutdowns during power outages or ‘brown outs’ ( like they do with a computer)?

Hope they get you up and running!

[newgen]

Thanks Ron!

“Watch out for metal from crowns, porcelain, certain old composites”

I was told that composites are OK to cut on. So now I’ll need to watch out for “certain old composites”? How do you personally differentiate between which composites to avoid and which is OK to cut? When I remove old composites, it’s always due to recurrent decay underneath, and the surface of the restoration is still pretty shiny.

[2thlaser]

IF while you are removing a composite you see a WHITE sparking occur, it’s not one you want to continue with. When the tip goes, you foul the mirror in your handpiece, then blow the trunkfiber, in that order. If you catch the tip just as it WHITE sparks, you probably won’t foul the mirror, just change the tip, and use another method to remove the old composite. Now saying that, I have had no problems yet removing ANY composites so far. But these are the things to watch out for. Hope this helps.
Mark

[BNelson]

Hi All,
This is my first post here. I’ve had my Waterlase since 7/2002 and the trunk fiber burned 2-3 months later. At the Dana Point meeting I asked the tech support people about it and they assured me that it was most likely a bad fiber. It did scorch the mirror in two handpieces, which they said was to be expected. I had switched handpieces assuming it was the problem and ended up needing two handpieces and a new trunk fiber. Kept y down for 3 days waiting for parts, but OK since.

[Swpmn]

For me, it’s upsetting to view the posts by newgen and BNelson. Problems with the system you are using are commonplace. Read the forums and talk to other users.

There is a serious problem with the trunk fiber delivery system and mirrored handpieces.

Little or nothing is stated regarding maintenance and absolutely nothing about how to pay for maintenance after the one year “warranty”.

If you attempt to remove an old, brown colored composite be careful and watch for white “sparking” from the Erbium. The Erbium laser will not react or “arc” off of commonly used stainless steel composite matrices.

Al

[b lash]

Ive also had some trunk fiber issues. The first one was due to faulty tips according to my rep. We changed all these out and got all new ones. The second may have been to a mistake by my assistants so I now do all the maintenace on the laser. We shut it down and drain it nightly and do all the things Ive been told to. Alot like others posted here the thing just blew in the middle of a prep today. That makes 3 in three months. I like the things Im doing with it but Im becoming extremely nervous about what will happen two years from now when the contracts all run out. Ill be paying 600 a month for a unit that might as well be in the trash? Anyone out there to calm my fears or am I in trouble.

[2thlaser]

Ben, I am not sure what you might be doing to have this problem, but I use my Waterlase for over 90% of everything I do, I haven’t blown a trunkfiber in over a year, and I only did ONE in the first month due to a stupid error on my part. I would love to help you if I can.
Sincerely,
Mark

[Anonymous]

Ben, I joined your club this morning.

Last week we had routine maintenance done on the Waterlase and everything checked out fine except needing a little water in the system.

Yesterday put in a new G4 tip and prepped 1 primary molar with no previous restoration.

This morning started to bathe tooth #10 and after 60 seconds the popping was gone.Air , Water present but no HENE beam or ercrYSGG beam. Wierd part is I can’t see that anything is blackened.

Service to send a new fiber.

This is the second fiber since August. The first one was definitely blackened though.

FRUSTRATING!

[2thlaser]

I wonder if a new batch of “bad” tips are on the market. I know that has happened before. I really try to fire the laser out of the patients mouth prior to starting any procedure, and look for the everfrearful white spark. Sometimes the tips blow from the inside out, if you are just near an metallic surface, i.e. crown/amalgam. I had that happen yesterday, and sure enough, bad tip, replaced and kept on working. Kept me from blowing fiber/handpiece. Seriously though, I wonder what’s happening to you guys, full moon in that part of the country? Hope you are both back lasering soon.
Mark

[Anonymous]

The first one I’ll take credit for as I’m sure I fried a tip.

This one was out of the blue. I always run the laser before using on a patient to let them hear it and I watch the tip to make sure there is no arcing and that water is going.

We always make sure air is going when we change tips to keep things dry.

When it went , the tip was far enough away that there was no effect on the surface of the tooth as I wanted to keep bathing it another 30 seconds.

The tech seems to think the defect might be in the middle of the trunk fiber since everthing but the 2 beams worked.

Guess I’ll find out Monday when the new fiber arrives.  

[Author]

Posts