Elimination of microorganisms from dental operatory compressed air

Compressed air is used to power high-speed handpieces, as well as to dry and clean surfaces in the oral cavity during patient treatment, in all dental operatories. The compressed air used in the dental operatories located in large institutions such as universities or hospitals is generally obtained from a central source, and is produced by continually running compressors. In operatories located in private practice settings, compressed air is obtained from small on-site air compressors, which may be run less frequently. A survey was made of operatories in the Montreal area to determine the microbial load of the compressed air produced by air compressors. An air sampler was used to collect compressed air and impinge it on a rotating agar medium surface. Compared to the air produced from compressors in constant use, the air collected from compressors that ran intermittently had a very high microbial load. The efficacy of an apparatus designed to sterilize the contaminated air produced by small, on-site compressors was tested. Called a Purilair, this device heats every particle of inflowing compressed air to 250 degrees C and then forces it through a fine-pore ceramic filter. In three private practice operatories, an in-line Purilair effectively sterilized the air being delivered by small compressors. The same result was obtained in the laboratory when lyophilized spores and cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus and conidia of Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus niger were sprayed into the intake line of the apparatus.