Successful dental practices require the best suction and compressed air systems, these are key to ensuring that your surgery runs smoothly on a day to day basis and gives you the dentist peace of mind when using the equipment. However, this together with pipework layout is one of the main areas which is overlooked when planning a new dental surgery and is in fact the most important element. In the unfortunate event that any problems do occur, a surgeries down-time can cost the practice both time and money.

Current international standards (BS EN ISO 10637) which ensure the safety of dental suction unit require the following:

Air Flow: Suction systems require a minimum of 250 litres of air per minute at a 16mm plus or minus 1mm aspirator tip with a maximum vacuum of no more than 250mbar. Compressor systems require a minimum of 50 litres/min at 5bar. All Cattani suction and compressed air units comply with this standard.

Surgical Applications is specific to treating diseases, injuries and defects of the mouth, jaws, hard and soft tissue, it is therefore important to achieve low/medium air flow and high vacuum as this will remove any blood and debris from a precise area in the patient’s mouth, this ensures the comfort of the patient and keeps the surgeons vision clear during surgery.

Negative pressure (vacuum pulling power): The negative pressure required depends on the size of tip, the smaller the tip the higher the negative pressure required. Generally, 150mbar is accepted as good vacuum for fixed speed suction systems, the standard states a maximum of 250mbar.

Pipework

Pipework should be MUPVC type not ABS. Swept bends and ‘T’ connections with a fall from the surgery to the pump will ensure water will not collect in the suction pipework.

If required your current system can be tested using vacuum gauges to discover the current performance of your system, air flow and suction power.

If you want to know more about other dental devices, such as dental turbine unit, please click on the text link.