Waterlase tip of the day

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
Had a 1st this morning when attempting to use the laser. Started machine and let it proceed thru 3 second wait . Water bottle continued to bubble just as if we were purging and there was no water coming to handpiece. Turns out the tip had not been completely seated. Once tip was fully seated everything worked normally.
So…. if you ever have a problem with water, 1st check the tip and the handpiece for proper seal.  

[Lee Allen]

Ron,

I also dicsovered the same problem but mine occured with changing of a tip that did not seat completely. According to the techs, the water travels into places not wanted and extra precaution should be taken to dry the fiber before operating, by running 100% air and no water for a couple of minutes. This ensures no water is left in wherever. Seems like voodoo, but I felt cured and safe once again.

It has happened more than once to me, but no fibers blown nor handpieces scorched to date.

Great tip!

Thanks for the reminder.

[dkimmel]

If you autoclave your handpieces the o-ring seals for the tips may start to leak. This will be seen as large drips of water forming at the base of the tip first then water will run down the side of the HP. I would suggest send the Hp back when you first see this.

[kellyjblodgettdmd]

Nice tips, you guys (no pun intended). Ron – fortunately, I did this the FIRST time I tried a Waterlase at the ’03 WCLI. I thought, “What the hell’s wrong with this thing!” Then Gerry Bitner was kind enough to point out my error. It’s a simple mistake to make though, especially when some of the tips are difficult to seat.

Kelly

[Lee Allen]

Since we are talking about Waterlase water issues, I will relate the latest water issue for me. My laser is 2 1/2 years old and one morning it gave me an error message when first turning it on. It stated a water flow system problem existed.

We checked in all the usual places and all was normal. The tech suggested that the internal cooling system may have a bubble in it and needs topping up, which we did thru the fill/drain port on the back with his coaching. The problem persisted and was not finally solved until the water level sensor on the internal coolong system was replaced.

This cost me a week without the laser. I learned how dependant I had become on its use. And how slow some of the procedures are with it. I have become more selective with cases now, but cannot imagine practice without it.

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