Santa Cruz, California ...
October 30, 1994
Latest Update Saturday, January 17, 1998
Note Third Hands are no longer manufactured except on special orders.
Some days it seems that we dentists don't have enough hands to do what we need to do.
It usually happens when the dental assistant is developing x-rays or answering the phone or is just not available.
Most of the time, we need someone to hold the aspirator tip for us and keep their head out of the light ...
and don't talk ...
and hold it steady ...
right there!!!
Solution number one: Hire an extra assistant.
Too expensive.
Better solution: install a Third Hand on your chair.
The Third Hand is an articulated plastic hose that mounts on the back of the chair with four screws (supplied) with a Phillips screw driver (not supplied).
The mounting bracket stays on the chair but the hose can be removed for cleaning or just to get it out of the way when you're not using it.
Remember the 'pop beads' your kids used to play with.
Third Hand is made of a special plastic that can be 'popped' apart and 'popped ' back together again and again and again.
Hose too long, 'pop' part of it out.
Hose too short, 'pop' a section in.
Want to avoid sheathing the hose, get an extra nosepiece and 'pop' it on for each new patient, while the other is in the cold sterilizer.
Need someone to hold the x-ray for a mentally or physically compromised patient.
Take half a standard plastic disposable suction tip, cut a slit one inch long in the end of it, slide an x-ray film into it an let the Third Hand hold the film for you.
Tired of messy carpeting where you adjust appliances and dentures? Put a small kitchen funnel into the business end of the Third Hand and move it around to your side of the chair.
The vacuum will collect the shavings for you.
Vacuum too strong?
No problem.
There's a valve included with each Third Hand.
Leave your suction hose on.
Control the suction with the valve on the Third Hand.
Colors available?
You can have any color you want as long as it's gray.
Sorry about that.
If you only use this device once a week it's worth having available.
Once you have one you'll wonder what you ever did without it.
A few tips about mounting it.
Mount the square black plastic block on the back of the chair just behind the patients left ear. (Right ear if you are left handed).
You can mount it anywhere, but if you mount it too low, your leg hits it when working.
Mount it with the stainless pipe horizontal.
If you mount it up the hose from your suction gets in the way.
If you mount it down the suction hose falls off and residual fluid in the 3rd hand drips when you disconnect it.
E-mail your comments to drjack@BetterEndo.com