The question is, are there dental procedures conducted in the office that produced biohazard aerosols, airborne particles, or splatter?
The next question is, can the procedures be modified to eliminate the aerosol risk?
An example would be discontinuing the use of a cavitron and replace it with 100% scaling and no prophy.
The final question is if the aerosol risk cannot be eliminated, can it be mitigated?
High Volume Evacuation (HVE) systems are one of the three components needed to mitigate aerosol risk from a direct source. Therefore the use of High Volume Evacuation must be a standard for dental procedures that produce biohazard aerosols, airborne particles, or splatter. There should always be two methods of high volume evacuation going at the same time during procedures that produce aerosol risk. The concept is to capture the aerosol risk while in the mouth, close to the generation point. Doing so with skill, the risk can be 99.99% mitigated!
I created this list not as a list of items I recommend, but a list to start your research. Since I do not use these items or test them, I am not in any position to “recommend” what to buy. However, I do recommend contacting your dental supply professionals for their recommendations, product information, suggestions, and samples; after all, they are the product experts!
High Volume Evacuation Systems,
HVE System by Nu-Bird
Ivory ReLeaf by Kulzer
The Blue Boa by BlueBoa
Capt-all by Dove Dental Products
Purevac HVE System by Dentsply Sirona
SilvAIR HVE System by Anodia Systems
Isolite 3 Illuminated Dental Isolation System by Zyris
Keep this in mind, the mitigation of biohazard discharge is not about “patient perception,” it’s about obtaining a result. To do so, it takes a combination of knowledge, skill, and product.