As stated in the Guideline Mondzorg Corona (version 6.2, 2021), oral care makes an important contribution to the quality of life of its patients and problems that can affect the general health of patients must be prevented. It is explicitly stated that oral care practices must be able to provide regular oral care as much as possible independently of the degree of presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while the chance of transmission is as small as possible. KNMT recognizes the role of aerosols in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is why it is advised to offer care through triage (A-patients and B-patients, where the first group has a small chance of being infected compared to B-patients). 

The KNMT recommends the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and additional measures such as minimum waiting times, physical distance and disinfection. In the treatment of B-patients also becomes ventilation specifically mentioned as a measure, whereby maximum prior ventilation must be provided and good ventilation must be ensured. Good ventilation is defined here as ventilation with preferably negative pressure, the use of natural ventilation (opening windows) if possible and only use an air conditioner if it uses the correct HEPA filter (with regular maintenance). 

Additionally and in line with the above reasoning, a HEPA filter based recirculating air cleaning system can be of added value† Especially when the above points leave something to be desired in practice, aerosols can still be actively cleaned from the air. A-patients can also well, despite the prepared triage questions, asymptomatic or presymptomatic (and therefore contagious) during the visit. Extra qualitative oral care is also provided for this group by actively cleaning the air. The latter in particular can contribute to a safer oral care perception, something that, according to KNMT spokesperson Hans Scholten (December 30, 2020, AD) underlies at least 10% less visit patient (and higher in certain risk areas).

In addition, the air cleaning system can provide a nicer working environment in general, some general facts below:

► In a dental practice there can be up to 500,000 germs per milliliter of aerosols floating in the air.

► 1 in 5 people suffer from hay fever. 

► Research has shown that the focus of people with hay fever can decrease by 40%.

The need for clean ambient air is growing worldwide. The climate summit and the particulate matter policy are demanding significantly stricter enforcement, which is a logical consequence of the recent results that are known worldwide about the importance of clean ambient air for our health. Whether it concerns particulate matter, bacteria, viruses, pollen, fungi or gases, with the AirExchange® air purification systems you and your colleagues, patients and guests can breathe a sigh of relief. 

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