In dental offices, removing excessive liquids, saliva, and even debris from the patient’s mouth during routine procedures is an important part of patient comfort and safety. It is also important for clear visibility for the dentist and dental hygienist, and choosing the correct equipment to remove the unwanted liquid is important as it is used with all types of procedures.
The System
The actual system is made up of several parts. The patient and the staff will typically only see the evacuator handpiece and the tip as well as the hose. The saliva ejector is a low volume evacuator, which is really designed specifically for saliva and not the high volume of water that is used to rinse areas of the mouth during procedures. There are also HVE or high-volume evacuator lines and tips, which are used to remove greater liquid volume and larger pieces of debris in the mouth.
The tip of the saliva ejector is connected to a tube, which runs into a machine. The hose connects to a vacuum canister, which includes a filter or a screen. The SE and the HVE tubes each have a unique port on the canister, which controls the amount of suction and the volume of liquid which can be moved through the tip and the tubing.
What to Consider
When selecting a system, consider all aspects of the system including the vacuum created and the ability to choose different saliva ejector tips for use with different procedures and patients. The more versatile and flexible the system is, including for the SE and the HVE requirements, the more practical it will be to use in the dental office.
Keep in mind; it is always important to operate the SE using the correct and recommended procedures. These procedures are provided by the CDC and promote the correct use of equipment to prevent any risk to patients.
