Torque Wrench Maintenance

Proper maintenance of the torque wrench requires lubrication of the spring prior to autoclaving. A drop of lubricating oil is placed into the slot where the head breaks away from the shaft of the wrench. The wrench is autoclaved in the open position. It is not recommended that the wrench be autoclaved in a sealed pouch and left remaining in the pouch. After autoclaving and prior to use, snap the head back into place a couple of times. This action will deliver consistent torque preloads.

Torque Wrench Recalibration

Dellinges and Curtis, 1 subjected torque wrenches to 100 autoclave sterilization cycles. Their study showed that steam sterilization increased the preload 17% above the control value. Chemiclave cycles had increases as high as 71%. The study concluded that the sterilization cycle was a more significant factor in the altering of the control value than part wear. Prior to 100 cycles, the torque wrenches did not demonstrate significant increases as a result of autoclaving. From this study, one can see that a torque wrench is altered around 100 sterilization cycles. The wrench should be recalibrated after this approximate period of use. Additionally, the wrench, if 100 cycles has not been reached, should be reviewed for part wear and corrosion within 2 years of purchase or recalibration. 1 Dellinges and Curtis. Effects of infection control procedures on the accuracy of a new mechanical torque wrench system for implant restorations. J Prosthet Dent 1996;75:93-98

Comparison of Electric and Mechanical Torque Wrenches

A common question asked is how do electric motors with torque control compare with mechanical torque wrenches. An article "Comparison of Torque Measurements and Clinical Handling of Various Surgical Motors" was published in the International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants, Vol. 24, Number 3, 2009. This study measured the deviation of several surgical motors to the selected torque settings. The study concluded that the average percentage of deviation for all selected torque settings with the surgical motors was -20.5% to +54.6%. This deviation is substantially larger than the deviation for mechanical torque wrenches which are from -10% to +10%. Since accuracy and repeatability is essential in torque control, it can be concluded that the mechanical style of torque wrench is the better option.

Precise Adjustable Torque Wrench

We are interested in your comments about the Precise Adjustable Torque Wrench. Please share your experience with this product.

Questions about what torque wrenches and drivers you need

The ITL Dental website, www.itldental.com, includes a chart of torque wrenches and drivers used by the major implant systems. These charts were updated on May 1, 2009. If you do not see the system that you use, please call ITL Dental at 800-277-0073 and we will help to answer your torque wrench or driver question. ITL Dental offers 43 different drivers to meet the needs of most implant systems. Torque wrenches are offered with fixed torque settings or an adjustable torque wrench with 9 torque settings that requires no lubrication or disassembly to clean.