Specific features of evaluating a portable dental delivery system

Vibration – We will start our discussion with one of the most overlooked but important characteristics of evaluating a mobile dental delivery unit. An ideal system will have a powerful compressor and vacuum system, meaning the motors could generate significant vibration. 

High Grade Dental Compressor and Vacuum Pumps – Higher quality pumps are made with greater precision and the dynamic balancing of the motors and piston will make them run smoother. This smoother operation is the key to beginning with proper construction to eliminate vibration at its source.

Engineered Isolation Mounts – The best way to mount pumps requires not only stable and secure connection to keep the pumps from moving around but also need to eliminate transfer of vibration from the pumps to the chassis. Rubber mounts do a fine job of securing the pump but don’t do very well at absorbing vibration. Improved dynamic mounting is higher quality and eliminates a high percentage of vibration.

Solid and Robust Construction Materials – Units that have poor construction or use flimsy materials will not handle vibration well and will cause problems. A well-built portable dental unit will be not only constructed of high-grade components, but will have thicker walls and materials. 

Suction Performance – One of the most difficult design areas for a mobile dental unit to create, is the powerful suction desired for dental procedures. It needs to provide high flow with moderate strength to pick up debris, capture water coolant effectively and pull viscous solutions through smaller tubings like the saliva ejector or surgical tips.

Suction Canister and Purging Ability – The suction canister should be sized to allow for a standard day of procedures with normal rinsing during treatment. Generally, a good baseline is that the canister should hold around two to three liters of liquid. 

Sound Performance – A very common and important question when selecting a portable dental unit for an office is how loud is it? The reason is that many in the dental field have heard how loud inexpensive and poorly designed dental units with air compressors can be.

Compressed Air and Handpiece Performance – When evaluating a portable dental unit with compressor, make sure that the internal air compressor provided can produce enough air flow at the right pressure to operate air driven dental turbine handpieces properly. Even electrical dental high speeds use air for cooling and need proper air flow.

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