Saliva ejectors ﾓvaccum cleanersﾔ for your mouth are narrow tubes that dentists and other oral health care professionals use to suction saliva blood and debris from the mouth during a dental visit. A saliva ejector may sit in the mouth during a dental procedure such as filling teeth or the dentist may insert it into the mouth at intervals during the procedure. By continuously ridding the mouth of excess saliva and other liquids saliva ejectors keep the mouth clear for the dentist to do his or her job. Some companies offer saliva ejectors that come with a tongue retractor to hold the tongue out of the dentist's way during procedures.
In recent years saliva ejectors have inspired controversy. Research findings caution that a ﾓbackflowﾔ of liquid from the ejector into the patient's mouth can occur when the pressure in the mouth is less than the pressure in the ejector. This pressure difference occurs when a patient seals their lips around the saliva ejector. As well when an ejector is placed above a patient's mouth gravity pulls suctioned waste back into the patient's mouth. In spite of these findings there have been no reports to date of negative health consequences resulting from saliva ejector use. However the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia urge dentists to ensure that the tube hangs below the patient's head during dental visits and to abolish the practice of asking patients to close their lips around the applicator headﾗjust in case. Saliva ejector tips are always disposed of after use on a patient.
