Dental News - Dental students design metal saliva ejectors

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 7. August 2019

save

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica: Four dental students at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) have recently found a way to counter the environmental impact of disposable plastic saliva ejectors. They have developed a metallic, reusable saliva ejector that can be sterilized in an autoclave. According to the students, the newly developed dental instrument is not only environmentally friendly but also a cost-effective solution for dental practices.

According to an article published on the UCR website, the UCR Faculty of Dentistry disposes of 166 ejectors a day, 3,317 a month and approximately 40,000 a year. If each of Costa Rica’s 232 dental offices saw 12 patients a day, this would result in 801,792 ejectors being disposed of each year and would cost an estimated ₡10,423 ($18,248) yearly.

“Plastic saliva ejectors are one of the most used instruments by dentists. To counter their environmental impact, we proposed a stainless-steel, autoclavable, surgical grade ejector designed to meet all the standards so that professionals replace traditional plastic ejectors,” said Yulieth Segura Castillo, one of the dental students.

The students began their research and development process by meticulously testing several prototypes made of various metals. During the testing phase, some of the materials could not withstand the heat and were deformed or they malfunctioned during use. After finding a suitable material, the researchers teamed up with a metallurgist to develop the final prototype of the product that successfully passed all sterility and functionality tests.

The metal ejector boasts a removable nozzle that improves the autoclaving process. A plastic ejector costs an estimated ₡13.00 ($0.022). The metal ejector will cost ₡11,000 ($19,258). Since dentists have to follow guidelines for infection prevention and control, the plastic ejectors currently being used in the dental offices have to be discarded after only one use. Taking the durability of metal ejectors into account, the researchers believe that investing in metallic saliva ejectors would save on not only the time and money needed to purchase plastic ejectors but also the medical waste disposal costs.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Social media shapes students’ choices in aesthetic dental treatments

MADRID, Spain: Although the popularity of social media use in healthcare for health promotion, research, recruitment and marketing is increasing, there is ...

Clinical accuracy of dental students significantly boosted by meditation

VADODARA, India: The flow of Eastern philosophical and spiritual systems to the US has, since the 1960s, exerted a well-known and powerful influence on the ...

Jordanian study examines propranolol use among medical and dental students

AMMAN, Jordan: The rite of passage through university education into the professional world is one that for many students is fraught with tension. ...

HASS Bio debuts Amber Mill Design Center for prosthetic design

GANGNEUNG, South Korea: HASS Bio, a leading innovator in dental materials and digital solutions, has announced the launch of the Amber Mill Design Center ...

Dental students embrace new learning technology

BRISBANE, Australia: In an exciting advancement in the health education field, dental students and medical nurses have been experimenting with augmented ...

Opt for a trustworthy ceramic and metal primer

HATTERSHEIM AM MAIN, Germany: Contrary to the uniformity suggested by the name, ceramic primers vary widely in composition and efficacy. Most common primers...

On smile design: Conservatively placed IPS d.SIGN veneers to correct a diastema

Today’s patients expect restorations that not only function properly, but are also highly aesthetic. Unlike some years ago, different media outlets ...

Focus on young professionals: IDS offers free entry for students, master students and trainees

COLOGNE, Germany: The future of the dental industry begins with the skilled professionals who are completing their training today. The International Dental ...

Saliva testing could revolutionise periodontitis monitoring, study suggests

PHILADELPHIA, US: Periodontitis is one of the world’s most prevalent health conditions, affecting between 20% and 50% of the global population—roughly ...

Hydrogel reservoir delivers artificial saliva to relieve xerostomia

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., US: Xerostomia is frequently encountered in patients receiving haemodialysis, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and is strongly associated ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 15 September 2025
1:00 pm EST (New York)