The One-Second Rule: Lubricating the NOVA Correctly

Bien-Air's maintenance documentation for turbines and handpieces alike is specific down to the second, and the NOVA follows the same procedure:

1	Point the tip downward. Protect the surrounding area with an absorbent cloth before you begin; excess lubricant will emerge, and you want to catch it, not wipe it off surfaces afterward.

2	Press the Lubrifluid button for exactly one second. Spray directly into the connection opening as illustrated in Bien-Air's documentation for your specific connector type.

3	Run a short operating test. A brief low-speed test run clears any surplus lubricant from inside the handpiece before it goes anywhere near sterilization.

4	Store tip-down. Positioning the NOVA with its tip pointing downward after lubrication lets any remaining oil residue drain out rather than pooling inside.

Why “After Every Patient” Isn't Optional

This isn't a suggestion buried in fine print. Bien-Air's own guidance frames full cleaning, lubrication, and sterilization as a same-visit requirement, not an end-of-day batch task. Skipping it, even once, lets blood or saliva residue sit inside the transmission system long enough to start affecting how smoothly the Cylkro gears move.

The 135°C Rule You Can't Skip

Not every sterilizer setting is safe for every instrument, and Bien-Air is blunt about it: only instruments carrying the “135°C” symbol are rated for that temperature in an autoclave. Before running a cycle, confirm your specific NOVA variant and its symbol rating rather than assuming a standard cycle is automatically safe.

Step	What Bien-Air Specifies
Sterilization method	Steam autoclave, matching the temperature symbol on the instrument
Maximum rated temperature	Up to 135°C for instruments carrying that symbol
Pre-sterilization requirement	Only perfectly clean, lubricated devices may be sterilized
Cooling	Never rinse the device to cool it after a cycle

VERIFIED: ONLY CLEAN, LUBRICATED DEVICES GO IN THE AUTOCLAVE

Bien-Air's instructions state plainly that only perfectly clean devices may be sterilized; sterilization is the last step in the sequence, not a substitute for cleaning and lubrication that got skipped. A dirty handpiece run through an autoclave isn't actually reprocessed correctly, regardless of the cycle it completes.

Cleaning Before You Lubricate

Remove the bur from the chuck before beginning any cleaning step.
Clean under running water below 38°C, removing visible dirt and deposits before moving to internal cleaning.
Use Bien-Air's Aquacare or Spraynet products for internal cleaning, following the specific product's documented spray duration.
Only proceed to lubrication once the device is visibly clean; this order matters, and skipping ahead undermines the whole sequence.

Letting a Machine Do It: Lubricare 2

For practices running multiple handpieces through a busy schedule, Bien-Air's Lubricare 2 system cleans and lubricates up to four handpieces at once, each in under a minute, with the same result every time regardless of which staff member runs it. If your practice is relying on manual technique across a large team, this is worth considering specifically because it removes the variation between how carefully any one person follows the one-second rule.

dental handpiece maintenance before after on Repair Guru

A Weekly Habit Worth Adding

Inspect the anti-retraction valve for proper sealing. This is a sterilizable, built-in component specifically designed to reduce cross-contamination risk, and it's worth confirming it's functioning rather than assuming it always is.
Check all four Quattro Mix spray points for consistent flow, not just a general “does it spray” glance.
Confirm your micromotor and NOVA pairing is still delivering the expected 500–200,000 rpm range a drift here is often the first sign something in the drive chain needs attention.

Storage That Actually Protects the Investment

Store tip-down between uses so residual lubricant drains rather than collects internally.
Keep sterilization pouches intact until the moment of use; don't pre-open trays for convenience.
Separate NOVA units by connector or micromotor pairing if your practice runs more than one configuration, to avoid a mismatch mid-appointment.

Habits That Quietly Shorten a NOVA's Life

Guessing at the Lubrifluid timing. One second is a specific instruction, not a rough estimate; over-spraying or under-spraying both affect performance.
Sterilizing without confirming the temperature symbol. A cycle that's too hot for your specific instrument is documented as a real risk, not a theoretical one.
Rinsing a hot handpiece to cool it faster. Explicitly warned against in Bien-Air's own instructions.
Treating cleaning as optional when a handpiece “looks fine.” Only visibly clean, lubricated devices are considered properly sterilized.

What Practices Are Saying

“Timing the Lubrifluid spray properly instead of just holding it down 'for a bit' made a noticeable difference within a month.” — Sterilization Lead, Group Dental Practice

“Switching to Lubricare 2 took the guesswork out of whether every NOVA actually got the same treatment every time.” — Practice Manager, Multi-Provider Office

Frequently Asked Questions

Q How long should I hold the Lubrifluid button down?

A Exactly one second, with the tip pointed downward and the surrounding area protected by an absorbent cloth, per Bien-Air's documented procedure.

Q Can I sterilize any NOVA at 135°C?

A Only if it carries the “135°C” symbol. Bien-Air states this explicitly, so check your specific instrument's rating before running that cycle.

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NOVA 1:5 Handpiece Maintenance Guide | Repair.Dental