Suction System Servicing
To get the best from your dental suction motor(s) regular servicing will repay you with increased efficiency and fewer breakdowns, you will conform to manufacturers’ recommendations and comply with CQC and HIW standards.
Servicing your suction motor ensures the correct running and functionality of the unit. This helps ensure suction volume helping evacuate spray mist, in-turn reducing aerosols escaping for the patients mouth. Without spray mist suction, the cooling spray of the fast-running and ultrasonic instruments can cause an aerosol cloud to spread throughout the entire treatment room. Another reason to have your suction system serviced is to ensure the separation of amalgam (ISO - 11143:2008) inline with regulations (EU) 2017/852/Article 10.4
10.4 - From 1 January 2019, operators of dental equipment using dental amalgam or removing dental amalgam fillings or teeth containing such restorations shall ensure that they are equipped with amalgam separators for the containment and collection of amalgam particles, including particles contained in the wastewater, are equipped.
These operators must ensure that:
a) Amalgam separators put into service after 1 January 2018 have a retention rate of at least 95% of amalgam particles;
b) from 1 January 2021, all amalgam separators in use are capable of the retention rate laid down in point (a).
Amalgam separators must be maintained according to the manufacturer‘s instructions for the highest workable retention rate.
Minamata – 65 years later. The consequences of gradual environmental disaster.
Minamata, a city located in Japan, is known due to Minamata disease, a neurological disorder caused by mercury poisoning. The disease was discovered in 1956. A local chemical plant was blamed for causing the disease by emitting untreated wastewater to the Minamata Bay.
Due to this in 2017 the EU and more than 100 other countries have signed an international agreement on mercury negotiated under UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). Know as the “Minamata Convention on Mercury”, an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. On issue of the convention is the use of the best environmental practices in dental facilities. That means: Amalgam must be separated and collected from the waste water of the treatment unit.