4 Reasons Dental Suction is So Important

That vacuum-like dental suction tube that your cosmetic dentist uses does more than just suck up every existing piece of saliva in your mouth. This dental tool is vital for your health and safety throughout your procedure and ensures that you’ll get the best possible results. Read on to learn about four reasons why your dentist needs to use dental suction during cosmetic, restorative, and preventive treatments.

Leaving Your Airway Unobstructed

If you have dental anxiety or are undergoing a lengthy process, such as getting dental implants or a full mouth of porcelain veneers, then you may need anesthesia to help make you feel more comfortable. The dental suction device will allow your cosmetic dentist to keep your airways clear and unobstructed throughout the entire process so you can easily breathe while feeling more relaxed under anesthesia.

Removing Saliva to Enhance Bonding Agents

If you get dental bonding, a crown, or porcelain veneers, all of these require the use of highly effective bonding agents to ensure that your restoration will hold up against daily wear-and-tear. As your dentist prepares you for your treatment, your mouth can produce more saliva than usual due to the presence of foreign objects in your mouth, like a dental mirror. Unfortunately, if there’s too much saliva coating the area that needs to be covered with the bonding agent, it can render it ineffective and cause your restorations to not properly secure to your teeth. By using a dental suction device, your dentist is able to smoothly secure your restorations onto your teeth by removing a majority of the saliva and keeping the area dry.

Preventing Choking During the Procedure

People who have dental trauma, poor muscle tone, or a compromised airway can be at risk of choking during a procedure if saliva isn’t regularly removed from their mouth. It’s also generally difficult to swallow when someone is working in your mouth and you’re laying down in a treatment chair. The dental suction device used by your cosmetic dentist comes in handy here by preventing aspiration and choking during your treatment. This is also a helpful dental tool while treating younger children!

Keeping the Treatment Environment Sanitized

During cosmetic and restorative treatments, you may notice your dentist bring out fast-moving dental tools such as polishers. These move so quickly that they can turn your saliva, and all of the bacteria or germs present in it, into a harmful aerosol that can be breathed in and spread to surrounding surfaces. This can increase patients’ and dental staffs’ risk of becoming ill, especially if it goes unchecked. The dental suction device actually reduces the amount of harmful aerosols and prevents a plume from growing while your dentist is completing the procedure. This makes the environment more sterile and safer for both patients and staff.

Visiting a dentist with the latest technology and gadgets has its benefits. Not only will chairside suction ensure your safety during your treatment, but it will also reduce your risk of becoming ill or having an uncomfortable procedure!

About the Author

Dr. Mark Stapleton completed an intensive year-long residency in general dentistry at the University of Florida and is a proud Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry. He is passionate about boosting his patients’ confidence by providing them with high-quality comprehensive dental care that beautifies their grins. He was also named one of the Top 40 Dentists in the Country Under 40 by Incisal Edge Magazine. For questions or to schedule a consultation, visit White Oak Dental’s website or call 952-448-2868.