Air quality is a critical factor in both quality of life and medical hygiene and sterilization. This is doubly true now as the global community moves through the COVID-19 pandemic, where air quality control and sanitation play a vital role in stopping the spread of the disease and keeping both healthcare providers and patients safe. Dental practices were among the first businesses to close down due to safety concerns; now that many are able to reopen, important questions remain about how best to prevent the spread of pathogens in a typical dental practice.
While a variety of recommendations and guidelines have been issued by both the Center for Disease Control and the ADA, finding the right tools to implement them in your practice is still your responsibility. However, solutions for air quality are readily available and proven to prevent the spread of unwanted microparticles via the airflow and HVAC within your practice. CDC guidelines detail how airflow, ventilation, and climate control systems should be addressed to ensure proper sanitation and sterilization. Some of the best available options for both dental practices and other workspaces are those offered by Surgically Clean Air. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Surgically Clean Air offers air purifiers that improve the quality of indoor air by removing chemicals, odors, particulate matter, and microorganisms—including germs and viruses.
Due to the nature of their work, oral health professionals are among the most likely to be exposed to disease and infections. This is partly due to the tools used in dentistry—high-speed rotary tools, ultrasonic scalers, and waterlines all produce spray and splatter that can spread whatever microorganisms or particles may reside within the patient’s oral cavity. Bio-aerosols spread in this manner may remain alive and airborne for up to 41 hours. This in turn means they may be spread via the ventilation or HVAC systems of the office unless proper countermeasures are taken. Microorganisms thus dispersed expose both patients and staff to disease and infection with potentially disastrous results.
Surgically Clean Air addresses this problem by not only removing bio-aerosols and similar particles from the air but also by sterilizing and purifying the air itself. Their filtration and air cleaning systems “kill” bio-aerosols and other microorganisms that may prove harmful, leaving the air inside your office safe for all involved. Their air filtration systems offer many advantages over comparable products within the industry:
- A six-stage filtration system, which uses ultrafine particulate filters and dual-stage carbon and molecular sieves to remove and isolate bio-aerosols, viruses, bacteria, and other particulates from the internal air.
- Large-capacity airflow management to clean air as quickly as possible, consistently throughout all hours of operation.
- Germicidal UV-Plus chambers that not only isolate but eliminate and “kill” microorganisms found in the air.
- Ease of operation to ensure program compliance by busy staff.
The health and safety of patients and staff is the top concern of every dental practice, and Surgically Clean Air is another tool that allows you to address those needs directly and efficiently. Dental practices around the nation are reopening to a brave new world, with new needs and requirements. Taking the right steps to ensure that the air inside your practice is safe and sterile is a necessary adaptation for both health and peace of mind. For more information, please contact us.