Beware of inexpensive, counterfeit handpieces being sold primarily over the internet to dentists looking for a good deal. These illegal counterfeit handpieces are represented as being manufactured by companies such as Kavo® or NSK®.
They may even bear official looking trademarks making them difficult to distinguish from the real thing. Most of these products are shipped from the People’s Republic of China. These counterfeit products may not meet legal requirements in terms of merchantability, design, workmanship and safety. Neither NSK® or Kavo® will accept any liability for any damage or loss that may be caused by these counterfeit products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is aware of these counterfeit handpieces, has confiscated many of them, and is currently investigating this matter.
Most of the doctors I have talked to that have used these handpieces found that while they may be inexpensive,
- their quality is not very good,
- they typically don’t last very long before needing to be replaced, and
- they are not worth the liability risk.
If the deal is just too good to be true – BEWARE. When you see a new handpiece normally worth $800+ being advertised for $60, for example, don’t even inquire about it. Save yourself the pain and risk of injuring your patients. Some bargains are better left alone.