How Chairside Suction Helps Patients Avoid COVID-19

Have you ever wondered why your dentist in Rockledge uses a suction device when cleaning your teeth or performing some kind of dental procedure? Advanced chairside suction techniques are highly recommended by the CDC and American Dental Association as a means of keeping the dentist, assistants, and subsequent patients infection-free. Especially now, they are important for practicing safe dentistry during COVID-19. How exactly does chairside suction help keep the practice clean and germ-free? Keep reading to find out.

Why Is Dental Chairside Suction Important?

Dental aerosols are particles that are released whenever your dentist uses certain instruments, such as a drill. Some of these particles hang in the air for a few seconds before falling to the floor, but others can remain suspended for several minutes or even hours before falling. These particles can then infect your dentist, their staff, and the patients who sit in the dental chair after you. If you are a carrier or any disease, particularly a respiratory one like COVID-19, failure to use proper suction could result in multiple people becoming infected.

Luckily, your dentist has a solution to stay safe. They normally use one chairside suction device to absorb some aerosols as well as excess saliva in your mouth. These days, many dentists use something called an extraoral device. Part of this device suspends above your head and sucks up dental aerosols that are released during your procedure. It absorbs these potentially harmful particles, preventing anyone in the room at the same time or after you from being infected by any germs you may, knowingly or not, be carrying.

How Else Is Your Dentist Keeping Their Practice Safe During COVID-19?

Using advanced chairside suction techniques isn’t the only safety precaution against COVID-19 that your dentist is taking. Some of the other measures include:

• Having a different designated “safety champion” every day who’s in charge of maintaining proper health and safety protocols such as social distancing
• Checking the health of every staff member daily
• Changing into and out of work clothes at the office instead of at home
• Asking patients to wash their hands and rinse their mouth out with an antimicrobial solution before their appointment begins
• Having patients wait in their cars instead of the waiting room
• Cleaning the office more thoroughly in between patients

Chairside suction is about more than keeping extra saliva out of your mouth. Using advanced techniques like the one your dentist in Rockledge uses could even save lives. For information on these techniques, or how your dentist is keeping their patients safe during COVID-19, just visit their website or give them a call.

About the Author

Dr. Sowmya Kumar achieved her dental doctorate from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She regularly participates in advanced post-graduate training courses to stay abreast of the latest and greatest techniques that modern dentistry has to offer and help her patients to the best of her ability. In addition, she frequently contributes to various academic journals. Her practice, Premier Walk-In Dental, utilizes the advanced chairside suction techniques outlined in this post, as well as the COVID-19-specific safety precautions listed above. To learn more about how you can be safe at her office, you can visit her website or call (321) 617-5901.