The Future of Dentistry Is Looking Green
An aspirator tube with dual tips, the single-patient-use Hygovac Bio is part of Orsing’s product line of bio-based polyethylene products made entirely from sugarcane
Dental practices across the country may be in different locations but they all share one common dilemma: the use of single-patient use products for patient safety and the increasingly negative effect their disposal has on the world’s environment. What to do? For Orsing, the answer was clear. The company got to work designing sustainable products that leave a smaller carbon footprint while maintaining the highest patient safety. Orsing, a division of DirectaDentalGroup, is introducing its “bio” line of fossil-free products made entirely from renewable resources, and it all comes down to one word—sugarcane!
While traditional polyethylene is manufactured using raw materials such as oil and natural gas, Orsing’s fossil-free bio products, including its Hygovac Bio aspirator tube, are made of a plant-based polyethylene called Green PE, a unique formulation made entirely from sugarcane.
“I love that I can have a conversation with my patients about how we’re providing the best patient care and also helping the environment by using Green PE products.”
- Katie Schiller, RDH
Reduced Carbon Footprint
According to Orsing, when incinerated as part of the disposal process required for biomedical waste, Hygovac Bio and other Green PE products significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. By how much? The company reports that Green PE results in a carbon footprint that is 80% less than traditional polyethylene, which is good news for the environment.
“I love that I can have a conversation with my patients about how we’re providing the best patient care and also helping the environment by using Green PE products in our practice, like the Hygovac Bio aspirator tube,” said Katie Schiller, RDH, in Saugerties, NY. “I like to educate my patients about what is being used in their mouth during their dental appointment,” she added, “and I think patients tend to look around and just see tons of plastic, so they love that a product like the Hygovac Bio comes from sugarcane, and that by using it, we’re taking a positive step toward helping the environment.”
Orsing’s Hygovac Bio is a single-patient-use aspirator tube designed with dual tips—one end has a traditional 45º angled tip while the other end has an “S” shaped tip—a feature that provides hygienists with more freedom and one that Katie finds particularly convenient.
“This design means that if a patient is uncomfortable with the one tip being used, I can just turn it to use the other angle,” Katie explained. “It’s easy to change the tip, which is a very cool feature because it gives me options,” she continued.
Dual Tip Design
The dual tips design of the Hygovac Bio also means hygienists can work faster and more efficiently.
“The 45º degree angle is really helpful because it reduces the aerosols and the water that I find my patients tend to struggle with, and the S shape can curve around the teeth a bit so it gives me a nice direct section right where I need it,” she explained. “Not all suction tips are the same, but these are very efficient at managing the water,” she added.
Another advantage of the Hygovac Bio is its light weight, which means added comfort for patients while also providing ergonomic benefits to hygienists. “Some products are heavier than others, but the Hygovac Bio is really ergonomically friendly to the clinician,” Katie added.
The Hygovac Bio is available in 2 lengths—95 mm and 120 mm, which widens the field of application and allows hygienists to choose the right length for each specific treatment. “As a hygienist, I don’t always have an assistant with me, so I like using the shorter length,” Katie explained.
Less Plastic Litter
Taking an added step toward its goal of reducing plastic litter, Orsing packages Hygovac Bio using fully bio-based materials.
“When I have patients in the chair, many of them comment about how much plastic is being used—the cups, prophy cup polisher, saliva ejector, and the airwater syringe—and we’re always searching for a better way to serve our patient population while being aware of the impact that we’re leaving behind as clinicians,” said Katie.
“Being able to use fossil-free products that leave less of a carbon footprint is very impactful, because so many times we don’t even take into consideration what we need to do our job. But there’s products out there that are worth exploring and Directa has done a really great job at providing these Green PE products,” she added.
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