Midwest® Stylus™ ATC
This high-speed, air-driven handpiece offers superior performance and precision.
Suddenly, cutting isn’t work. It’s a satisfying experience. Midwest Stylus® ATC™ is a revolutionary high-speed, air-driven handpiece offering dentists an entirely new cutting experience. The experience is so smooth, powerful, and efficient, it may not feel like work anymore.
This is the world’s first high-speed, air-driven handpiece that automatically optimizes the delivery of power in response to load, offering superior performance and precision (Figure 1).
The Stylus ATC system addresses two longstanding issues dentists have with high-speed, air-driven handpieces: speed and torque fluctuation; and bur deflection and chattering. The two breakthrough technologies that make this possible are: speed sensing intelligence (SSI) and superior turbine suspension (STS).
Speed-Sensing Intelligence (SSI)
SSI optimizes the delivery of power under load to provide smooth, consistent cutting speeds for unmatched efficiency and fastest removal of material. A sensor in the coupler monitors the frequency of vibrations 750 times/second, caused by the rotating bur to dynamically vary drive air pressure. When the bur encounters a higher load that would normally cause a decrease in speed, a signal from the advanced “electronic brain” increases air pressure, and thereby the rotation of the turbine, maximizing cutting efficiency. The opposite occurs when the bur encounters a lighter load.
Superior Turbine Suspension (STS)
STS is an exclusive feature that allows the handpiece to operate at speeds of 330,000 rpm under load without noticeable bur deflection or chattering. This provides outstanding control every time. This smooth, precise control is especially beneficial for margin refinement and fine restorative procedures.
Midwest optimized the axial preload with independent radial support to the bearings. Wave springs function to maximize power transmission from the handpiece to the bur, while the o-rings provide stiff radial support to limit bur deflection. No other handpiece on the market today allows dentists to create this degree of precision at 330,000 rpm.
Controlled Power in a Compact Package
In addition to SSI and STS, Midwest Stylus ATC offers other advantages:
• Most powerful air-driven handpiece available
• Mini and mid-size heads for exceptional visibility
• Exceptional swivel for freedom of movement
• Low pitch and tone for a more relaxed patient and dentist
• Lightweight for all-day comfort
• Regular and short shank bur compatibility
• Brilliant fiber-optic light for superior illumination
Numerous Clinical Advantages
After a short learning curve, dentists are reporting many significant clinical and operational advantages and benefits with the Midwest Stylus ATC system. For example, the ATC quickly cuts through amalgam without stalling because it automatically adjusts torque to keep cutting. Once amalgam is removed, dentists can move directly to refining the margin without having to change the bur or handpiece.
Dentists are also reporting better efficiency in removing porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. They cut through the porcelain with a diamond, then, using a bur, cut through the metal substructure in one continuous easy motion—often using only one bur on the metal substructure. On tougher new metals, such as zirconia, Stylus ATC allows fast and easy cutting with a diamond in one continuous movement.
Once the crown is removed, dentists can move directly to fine tuning the preparation to make a pristine margin. Stylus ATC lowers the torque to give clinicians the finesse to finish the margin under high magnification with extreme accuracy.
Even occlusal reductions are faster because the ATC does not bog down, and it removes more material faster than other typical handpieces. Another area where it shines is in opening up interproximal contacts. It cuts smoothly through the contact in one continuous motion with great precision and control.
In September 2010, Stylus ATC received an Excellent Rating and the Choice seal from an independent non-profit dental education and product testing foundation. Dentists can request a copy of this reprint from their representative.
Conclusion
This is a significant breakthrough in high-speed, air-driven handpieces since their introduction by Midwest in the 1950s. Bringing electronic control to the dental handpiece to provide a constant speed, even under load, will make the dentist’s experience more efficient and effective. Providing enhanced precision, control, and efficiency will make for a better dental experience for the dentist and for the patient.
This article was written by Bradley Unamboowe, Brand Manager, DENTSPLY Midwest.
For More Information, contact:
DENTSPLY Midwest
Phone: 800-989-8825
Web: www.StylusATC.com
Disclaimer
The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dentistry.
