Guidelines for the purchase, placement, and use of electrosurgical equipment

Many excellent clinicians present a myriad of electrosurgical techniques in this tissue. If you select techniques that are applicable to your type of practice, you will be a better, happier, and more productive dentist. The type of unit you select must also fit into your approach to patient treatment. As can be deduced from the equipment guide, there is no uniformity in the manufacture of electrosurgical equipment. There is no standardized color coding system, no uniform labeling of controls and outlets, and no uniformity in the types of current offered. Each manufacturer can produce evidence for the superiority of its unit; the scope of this article is not to evaluate units. The American Academy of Dental Electrosurgery has been active in promoting the use of uniform nomenclature by manufacturers. For more detailed information, the reader can contact the secretary and founder of this organization, Dr. Maurice Oringer, at American Academy of Dental Electrosurgery, 57 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019. It is crucial for the dentist to known the uses and the refined methods of electrosurgery that he intends to incorporate into his practice. Only with such knowledge can he make the intelligent choice of unit and placement. There are at least 10 models currently available. It is hoped that the dentist will choose and effective unit to be used in the appropriate manner for the selected procedure. Electrosurgery will then be a splendid addition to the armamentarium of each dentist.