Aerosols and droplets are produced during many dental procedures, and they are our greatest concern.
Written by: Jordana Contrucci Ruiz, DMD (Dallas County Dental Society Member)
After being shut down due to COVID-19, we were all nervous to return to work. We were nervous to change our routines, nervous how patients would feel about leaving their homes and nervous about the increased risk dental providers would face. Aerosols and droplets are produced during many dental procedures, and they are our greatest concern.
During the quarantine, I received numerous emails from dental reps sharing suction devices such as ReLeaf, Isodry and Purevac, to eliminate aerosols. My office already has Isodry but patients do not prefer it due to its bulky nature. I looked into Purevac but it was pricey to implement into the office due to it being autoclavable and needing to purchase too many of them. Lastly, I investigated ReLeaf and was sold!
Setup of ReLeaf is effortless and extremely cost effective. There is a long hose that connects to the HVE and stays connected full time, a short hose and U-Shaped connector that is autoclavable and changed for each patient, and lastly the leaf which is not bulky and one time use.
ReLeaf has 280 degrees of high-volume hands-free suction which maintains a dry field during dental and hygiene procedures. This suction can save up to 15 minutes of time per patient and allows for safer procedures by minimizing aerosols and the risk of backflow. Patients can close their mouth anytime they want without having to maneuver the suction.
ReLeaf is used for hygiene recall, fillings, and crowns. We have found extremely happy patients who share how safe they feel. From a dental perspective, we cannot imagine working without ReLeaf. My hygienists say they do not know how they worked without it and feel more efficient. For our practice, ReLeaf is the answer both to reduction of aerosols and nervousness!
Suggested Links:
ReLeaf (official website)
CDC recommendations for reducing aerosols