Dear Valued Customers,
DENTALEZ stands ready to support and help solve the everyday – and now the not-so-everyday – challenges our business partners are facing. It is clear the COVID-19 pandemic is heightening awareness of product safety, cleaning and sterility practices along with the need for clear and accurate information and guidance as dental offices respond today and consider restarting operations in the weeks to come.
It is during this uncertain time that we wish to offer the following support to all our customers, clinicians and patients:
- We will remain open for business in all our manufacturing locations, committed to serving healthcare needs unless governmental authorities or public health guidance warrants other action. This includes all of our customer service and technical support teams at 866-DTE-INFO (866-383-4636). We are fully staffed, remote work capable, and ready to answer all questions about order status, product availability and proper use and care of your DENTALEZ products.
- We are following local, state and national guidance from authorities including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and taking all necessary precautions for cleaning and disinfection of our facilities to protect the health of our employees, including required distancing in our factories and frequent handwashing.
- Every product manufactured by DENTALEZ under its family of brands – including Forest, Ramvac and Star, meet applicable standards of safety based on the regulatory classification of the device.
Our highest commitment is providing safe and effective devices for the dental industry – including designs to mitigate the transmission of infectious disease for patients and providers.
- Every Star handpiece meets (or exceeds) International Standards for design, safety, performance, biocompatibility, biological evaluation and sterility1. And all products are validated to globally accepted sterilization processes to ensure patient safety. Every handpiece is shipped with detailed parameters and instructions for proper cleaning and sterilization. Additionally, most dental couplers available from all manufacturers compatible with Star handpieces have a built-in anti-retraction valve that prevents the backflow of water into the tubing to provide an extra preventative measure for cross contamination.
- Every DENTALEZ and Forest delivery unit are provided with detailed instruction for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of dental equipment directly aligned to infection control guidelines published by the CDC. These instructions include proper maintenance and cleaning for dental unit water line (DUWL) quality, cuspidors, and general guidelines regarding use of barriers and reprocessing between patient use. While updated standards2 from 2015 require anti-retraction valves in delivery units, both DENTALEZ and Forest designs implemented this added safety measure as early as 1986.
- Every Ramvac air compressor unit – is required to meet Class 1 air purity standards. We exceed this standard to meet Class 2 air purity standards3. Achieving a Class 2 dew point requirement (-40oC) eliminates the need for an antimicrobial tank lining. And in combination with our proprietary dual-desiccant dryer system – means a continuous supply of clean air to power your practice.
All instructions for use (IFU) are available via our web site at dentalez.com or by calling our Customer Service department at (866) DTE-INFO.
Furthermore, as specified in our product literature, we recommend the following products for ensuring proper mitigation, cleaning and maintenance of our products, but please follow manufacturers and CDC/ADA guidelines for sterilizing and disinfecting instruments:
- Anti-retraction valve replacement:
- Forest Standard IC and Fusion control heads: Clippard valve, item #1100-145
- Forest Euro control head: Clippard valve, item #1100-145-VW
- Forest Value control head: Clippard valve kit item #0010-783
- DENTALEZ Core, Simplicity, and Galaxy control heads: Kit of 3 replacement valves, item # 3801-132
- If using an older delivery unit predating the above-referenced standard, the valve replacements above can be used to retrofit or replace existing valves. Expected useful life for such a valve will vary by manufacturer; the Clippard valve is warranted for 20 years.
- Valve performance can be verified using Forest test gauge item # 0008-040.
- Sparkl dental instrument cleaner, Item 205472. This cleaner can be used on all makes and models of diamond instruments, perforated and hollow instruments, carbide and steel burs, files, reamers and broaches, etc., to dissolve dental debris, blood and serous exudate.
- Junk-Out handpiece chuck cleaner, Item # 263790. This cleaner is designed to remove the debris that forms inside the chucking mechanism of high-speed handpieces from everyday use and sterilization.
- SlugBuster vacuum line cleaner, Item # 900246. This cleaner is formulated specifically for the dental industry and cleans and deodorizes hoses, drains, piping, separators and dissolves organic debris for maximum performance. It is compatible with ALL dental vacuum systems and amalgam separators.
We have been a partner to the dental industry for over 100 years, and you can count on us to be with you every step of the way as this crisis unfolds. Not only are we doing everything we can to maintain product availability, but we will continue to seek new and novel ways to ease the economic burden of our customers during this financially turbulent time. This includes the recently announced delay of operatory equipment price increases until July. Moving forward, we will be adding important resources and communications on our web site: dentalez.com.
DENTALEZ is a reliable partner with a strong balance sheet, and we are constantly seeking new opportunities to help our customers weather this storm. We remain committed to manufacturing medical devices for the dental industry that are safe and effective, and we thank you for your continued trust and confidence.
We wish you and your colleagues and families all the best as we navigate through these unique and challenging times. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
Warm Regards,
Heather Trombley
President and Chief Operating Officer
DENTALEZ, Inc.
1) International Standards (for handpieces) include: ISO1447:2017, ISO7405:20058 and ISO10993-1:2009
2) International Standards (for delivery units) include: ISO7494-2:2015
3) International Standards (for dental air compressors) include: ISO8573-1:2010
