• August 25, 2021
  • Guarddent
  • 0

Do dental Saliva Ejectors put our health at risk?

How to use a saliva ejector?

A standard saliva ejector consists of a tube and a tip with medical glue, it’s fixed saliva ejector which is very strong and safe, and it’s simple and comfortable for a patient when placement, to maintain its position in the mouth, bend it in the shape of a candy cane and place it under the tongue on the opposite side that you are working on.

A removable saliva ejector consists of a tube and a tip with a connected state, without any glue, this may be applied to local recycling or dentist’s application habits, you need to check the tightness for a removable saliva ejector before using it, But there are still risks.

How does reflux occur when using a saliva ejector?

Reflux occurs when previously suctioned fluids present in the suction tubing flow back into the patient’s mouth. Backflow can happen when:

  • There is pressure in a patient’s mouth (a result of closing their lips and forming a seal around the tip of the ejector) that is less than in the saliva ejector (similar to how liquid flows back into a cup after drinking through a straw).
  • The suction tubing attached to the ejector is positioned above the patient’s mouth.
  • A saliva ejector is used at the same time as other high-volume evacuator equipment.

How to stop problems before they start?

Although till now no adverse health effects which are associated with the saliva ejector have been reported, Awareness of the problem is still the first and important step to protecting patients. As dental professionals, we must make sure that we correctly instruct our patients during treatment to avoid the tight seal with their lips, and we can not just insert the tool in the mouth and move it around to suction saliva. Also, must make sure that the vacuum lines are fully flushed after each patient use.

References :

Saliva Ejectors

Backflow from low-volume saliva ejectors occurs when the pressure in the patient’s mouth is less than that in the evacuator. Studies have reported that backflow in low-volume suction lines can occur and microorganisms be present in the lines retracted into the patient’s mouth when a seal around the saliva ejector is created (e.g., by a patient closing lips around the tip of the ejector, creating a partial vacuum) (364–366). This backflow can be a potential source of cross-contamination; occurrence is variable because the quality of the seal formed varies between patients. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that gravity pulls fluid back toward the patient’s mouth whenever a length of the suction tubing holding the tip is positioned above the patient’s mouth, or during simultaneous use of other evacuation (high-volume) equipment (364– 366). Although no adverse health effects associated with the saliva ejector have been reported, practitioners should be aware that in certain situations, backflow could occur when using a saliva ejector.