Air Filtration for Dental

In order to reduce the amount of airborne contaminants we all contact as part of the Dental Industry, here are some topics for consideration for your Dental Lab and Dental Office:

• PPE
• Infection Control – Disinfection
• Infection Control – Barriers
• Air Filtration
• Source Capture

We need to review our practices, protections and engineering controls. 

Practices

We need to reduce transmission by using non-contact interactions and physical distancing layouts.  Consider using paperless communication from office to lab where possible.  Consider whether or not patients should come into your Lab for custom shade taking.  Assume every impression and model requires disinfection.   List of Disinfectants

Protections

Consider appropriate PPE for the level of airborne or surface contaminant.  Consider Disposable Transport Bags.   

We need to consult with experts in the field.  Here is a training on Respiratory Protection from ADA’s website:  ada-and-osap-respiratory-protection-in-the-era-of-covid-19-webinar

Here is a great Training video from Safelink:  covid-19-safety-and-infection-protection-guidance-for-dental-laboratories

Engineering Controls

Review physical barriers, direction of air flow and collection/filtration.  Consider HVE aerosol capture for dental hygiene like ReLeaf.

Regarding Air Filtration and Source Capture, here are recommendations from Quatro-Air Q&A:

“How can dentists and their staff protect themselves from airborne contaminants like viruses? ….. 

Quatro is now also recommending that they incorporate HEPA air filtration into their offices. Two types of systems will be required to properly address the situation.

The first system is a recirculation HEPA filtration system. This unit will continually circulate the air within the office and or operatory space. The more air changes you have the quicker the space will be cleaned. We are recommending 12 air changes per hour similar to CDC guidelines for isolation rooms. This will clean the room 99% effectively in 23 minutes. Higher air changes per hour will clean the rooms quicker.

The second type of system we are recommending is a source capture unit. The purpose of this unit is to capture debris and aerosols directly where they are generated to minimize the aerosols dispersing throughout the dental office.

When the combination of the Room Recirculation HEPA Filtration unit is used with the Oral Source Aerosol Vacuum – this increases the room air changes per hour and limits the amount of aerosols spread into the room.”

 

Here is an Air-Change calculator from Vaniman:  Vaniman Air Change Calculator