Air exchange in dentistry: norms and subtleties of arranging ventilation in the dental office

The indoor ventilation system is designed to provide continuous access to fresh air and remove exhaust air saturated with carbon dioxide from the room. Also, thanks to the systematic replacement of air inside a closed room, the microclimate is maintained and the appearance of bacteria and mold that negatively affect health is ensured.

Compliance with standards for ventilation systems is especially important in medical institutions. Thus, sanitary and epidemiological requirements regulate air exchange in dentistry, thereby helping to ensure the necessary microclimate of the room for dental treatment.

This article will discuss in detail the requirements established by law for the arrangement and operation of ventilation systems in dental offices.

Sanitary requirements for office ventilation

Basic standards for premises in which dentists’ offices are organized have been developed and enshrined at the legislative level in SanPiN 2.1.3.2524-09.

You should definitely read this document in order to have a general idea of ​​how the ventilation system in a dental office should be arranged.

The ventilation system in dental offices is designed to recreate a healthy atmosphere, preventing germs, bacteria and possible microparticles from settling on working surfaces in the room during dental services.

The requirements specified in the document for compliance with hygiene standards, placement of equipment and organization of ventilation of dental offices come down to the mandatory implementation of the following:

• ensuring the indoor temperature ranges from 18 to 23 degrees in winter and from 21 to 25 degrees in summer;
• ventilation should be designed in such a way as to prevent the transition of air masses from “dirty” zones to “clean” ones, that is, the hood should be designed so that air does not flow directly to the treatment site;
• carrying out systematic monitoring of compliance with standard indicators of microbial contamination of air in the room and in ventilation ducts;
• ventilation can be either natural or forced, but separate from common house ventilation systems;
• It is mandatory to install an autonomous ventilation system for premises used for dental laboratories;
• presence of openable windows, regardless of type installed ventilation system.

It is worth noting that in order to maintain temperature conditions, the use of air conditioning systems built into ventilation systems is allowed in dental offices.

In this case, filters are changed at least once every six months.

Even with a ventilation system, it should be possible for clean air to enter the room through open windows. That is why installing solid windows without the ability to open them is considered a gross violation and can lead to deprivation of the license to provide dental services in this premises

The document also provides for special cases for dental offices located in administrative buildings or on non-residential floors of residential apartment buildings.

They say the following:

• if there are less than three dental chairs, it is possible to organize ventilation of the room due to natural ventilation or an opening window transom;
• When there are more than three dental chairs in the room, it is mandatory to organize a systematic change of air through the use of supply and exhaust ventilation. In this case, fans should be used that provide an air exchange rate of 2/3 (two for air supply, 3 for air exhaust per hour);
• the ventilation system in dental offices with four or more dental chairs must be exhausted separately from the ventilation of a residential apartment building.

It is worth noting that in the absence of autonomous ventilation ducts in dental offices, the use of special devices with photocatalytic filters through which the exhaust from the room passes.

Arrangement of ventilation in the dentist office

Properly functioning ventilation that meets all established standards described above is a primary condition for obtaining a license to organize dental services in the premises being operated.

The design and installation of ventilation must be carried out very responsibly and, if possible, involve third-party highly specialized organizations.

The location of ventilation ducts indoors should be designed in accordance with the location of other communications. The ventilation system must not be passed over heating or cooling devices or combined with electrical cables.

Before starting work, it is necessary to carry out calculations in which you need to take into account:

• future flow of visitors to the dental office - number of chairs, number of medical personnel, duration of use of the office in one day;
• the amount of installed equipment and the possible load on the electrical network;
• climate of the area, to maintain the established temperature and humidity indoors at different times of the year;
• the quality of the material from which the ventilation will be performed and the functionality of the equipment included in the ventilation system;
• the required air exchange rate in the dental office.

It is worth noting that servicing of ventilation equipment in dental offices must be carried out in accordance with established standards, unless otherwise specified in the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer.

When installing exhaust ventilation, the distance between the place where outside air is taken in and the place where the exhaust air is discharged into the atmosphere should be taken into account.

The distance from each other along the horizontal plane should be at least 10 meters, and vertically spaced apart from each other by at least 6 meters. If the exhaust air is discharged onto the roof of the building, then the height of the ventilation duct must be at least one meter from the rooftop.

Installation and cleaning of dental office ventilation systems must be trusted to specialized companies licensed to carry out this type of work. Self-cleaning of ventilation ducts is prohibited

The installation of filters for cleaning the air emitted from ventilation depends on the calculations carried out to protect the atmospheric air.For dental clinics and offices with more than three chairs, the installation of filters is mandatory.

Ventilation requirements in dentistry do not include ventilation chambers for exhaust systems.

Another requirement that is not spelled out in SanPiN – this is the noise level of the supply and exhaust ventilation. When purchasing fans that provide air inflow and outflow, you should pay attention to the vibration and noise they cause during operation.

They must fit into the established requirements for ventilation systems prescribed in SP 336.1325800.2017 - from 35 to 45 dB.

Features of ventilation in dentistry

As mentioned above, ventilation systems for dental offices affect obtaining a license to provide medical services. At the same time, the ventilation itself undergoes a certification procedure.

This procedure is carried out after completion of work for system installation. The ventilation system passport is updated annually and is valid for only one year.

To obtain a new passport for the next year, the following work must be completed:

1. System disinfection.
2. Cleaning filters.
3. Checking work efficiency.
4. Eliminate all identified problems.

The procedure for ventilation certification can be simplified by concluding a service agreement with the company that carried out the work.

When carrying out routine maintenance to check the supply and exhaust ventilation system, it is prohibited to carry out any medical work. The dental office must be prepared for inspection, the equipment must be covered with special covers. After cleaning and working with devices, it is necessary to disinfect the room

Another feature of dental ventilation systems is the need to heat the air supplied to the room.This measure is extremely necessary in places with harsh climates and is provided by special devices built into the ventilation system.

In places with warmer climates, additional heating of the air supplied to the room is not required. For places with hot climates, it is possible to integrate duct coolers into ventilation systems.

The ventilation grille should be located in the upper zone of the room. In dental offices equipped with X-rays, it is advisable to opt for supply and exhaust ventilation.

Cleaning of ventilation grilles should be carried out daily while tidying the room. Detection of a large amount of dust during cleaning may indicate premature clogging of the ventilation system. Also, daily inspection of the grille will prevent the appearance of mold if the humidity in the room increases.

To accommodate the equipment involved in the ventilation system, it is necessary to allocate utility rooms, access to which should be limited, and their placement should not be adjacent to the room where dental medical work is carried out.

All ventilation ducts must be located under the ceiling in corridors and work areas. They must be hidden, that is, covered with a suspended ceiling.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Features and some tricks of installing ventilation in dentistry are presented in this video:

You can view an engineering drawing of the structural arrangement of ventilation in dentistry in this video:

The ventilation system plays a major role in maintaining the desired microclimate in the dental office. Proper ventilation prevents the appearance of unwanted bacteria and helps maintain the health of both medical personnel working in dentistry and those undergoing treatment.

That is why such close attention is paid to its installation, installation and operation, and regulatory authorities systematically check the compliance of ventilation with the standards established by law.

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