There has been a lot of discussion around the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the safety of staff and patients. HVE and saliva suction tools were never designed to capture the cloud of aerosols created in dentistry. There is no question that more suction in the patient’s mouth will capture more air and therefore remove more aerosols from leaving the area. The science behind vacuum results in a defined volume of air allowed to pass through a hole depending on the hole diameter and the differential pressure across the hole. Though studies have shown good suction at an HVE can reduce aerosols by 80-90%, aerosol capture is a multi-stage process, each stage utilizing the ideal tool for each task.

There has been a lot of discussion around the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the safety of staff and patients. HVE and saliva suction tools were never designed to capture the cloud of aerosols created in dentistry. There is no question that more suction in the patient’s mouth will capture more air and therefore remove more aerosols from leaving the area. The science behind vacuum results in a defined volume of air allowed to pass through a hole depending on the hole diameter and the differential pressure across the hole. Though studies have shown good suction at an HVE can reduce aerosols by 80-90%, aerosol capture is a multi-stage process, each stage utilizing the ideal tool for each task.