Engineered for Efficiency and Patient Comfort
Inside Dentistry provides the latest in endodontics, implantology, periodontics, and more, with in-depth articles, expert videos, and top industry insights.
September 1, 2020
Volume 16, Issue 9, September 2020
Page(s): p. 52
Jessy S. Sidhu, DMD
Growing up in a family with a strong background in medicine and business gave me an entrepreneurial eye. My family is largely made up of physicians, dentists, and engineers. After graduating dental school in 2001 and starting to practice, I began to notice a number of things in dentistry that could be improved upon. One particular area that I thought needed improvement was the design of the high volume evacuation (HVE) products that were on the market. The HVE tips that I saw on the market, both disposable and nondisposable, presented issues. For example, many were sharp, lacked precision engineering, and did not enhance patient comfort or procedural efficiency. These observations led to the invention of Safe-Vac®.
Regarding its dimensional specifications, Safe-Vac is almost identical to other standard HVE tips on the market; however, it incorporates many beneficial features that are not available on other current units, which enhance the functionality and safety of HVE in practice. The devices are made from US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved non-latex materials and are engineered and manufactured with precision. Each single-use, disposable unit has a soft, yet rigid, cushioned tip that was designed to prevent tissue trauma. Safe-Vac also incorporates a built-in internal screen to prevent time-consuming blockages.
Large obstructions that can block other suction units can be easily removed with Safe-Vac and disposed of properly. Because these obstructions cannot travel past the internal screen, a dental assistant simply has to remove the HVE tip from the mouth, turn the suction off, and dump the materials out.
The internal screen can also assist with other dental procedures. A few examples include the etching of certain small restorations, which can be performed directly inside the suction unit itself rather than off to the side or using a separate apparatus; the try-in of certain dental restorations; and during restorative and surgical implant procedures. When trying in certain dental restorations, as well as when performing restorative and surgical implant procedures, small components can be inadvertently swallowed by patients or get easily sucked up by the current suction units and lost within the equipment. In this regard, the use of Safe-Vac can help protect clinicians from liability and prevent the loss of restorative components.
Other procedures such as tissue and bone grafting can benefit from the use of Safe-Vac as well. We can now prevent these grafts from being inadvertently suctioned, contaminated, and lost.
By using Safe-Vac, clinicians can avoid delays, prevent costly repairs, increase productivity, and improve the performance of certain dental procedures. More importantly, the device is safer and more comfortable for our patients. There isn't another unit currently on the market that combines all of the features of Safe-Vac into a single, disposable, user-friendly device.
Key Takeaways
> The single-use, disposable unit has a soft, yet rigid, cushioned tip designed to prevent tissue trauma
> Available with an internal screen to prevent time-consuming blockages and the loss of small dental restorative components
> The unique, patented non-latex soft tips do not grab patients' cheeks or tongues, improving patient comfort
> Small restorations can be placed directly on the screen and etched within the HVE unit
About the Author
Jessy S. Sidhu, DMD
Private Practice
Solana Beach, California
