Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Saurabh Rai, Tandara Dental Centre, Gosnells, WA
I purchased this unit about eight years ago. It’s an instrument designed to cut bone with minimal damage to soft tissue.
What’s good about it
I use the VarioSurg 3 when I’m working close to a nerve and need to avoid touching it. It’s very useful for removing bone around the site of a direct sinus lift. If I want to do a ridge split but there’s a lesser amount of bone, the VarioSurg is the perfect tool. I mainly use it for implants, sinus lifts, ridge splits and bone surgery that requires care not to damage adjacent structures. It’s also useful for atraumatic extractions when you’re attempting to preserve as much bone as possible.
The handpiece has an ultrasonic cutting tip that provides accuracy and precision. It’s a slower cut than with a rotary system but that allows for increased attention to detail. This is not a tool for work that doesn’t require precision cutting, such as quartering a tooth. The ultrasonic tip also effectively protects the surrounding soft tissue.
There is a learning curve to using the VarioSurg, but it’s not very steep. There are plenty of training materials available and once you’ve completed a case or two, it’s quite intuitive to use.
What’s not so good
It’s a slower cutting tool than a rotary unit. There can also be problems if the power setting is incorrect. If you use 100 per cent when only 50 per cent is required, the tip heats up and that can heat the bone. The tips also need to be replaced fairly regularly to ensure precision cutting.
Where did you get it
While Dr Rai uses the VarioSurg 3, the manufacturer has informed us this model has been discontinued and superseded by the VarioSurg 4, which is pictured above.
