The True Cost of Inconsistent Dental Suction

November 3, 2025

Why Reliable Suction Matters for Every Practice

Every dental operatory relies on suction to power the tools that keep procedures moving, support infection control and help patients feel comfortable. When suction weakens or fails, the disruption is immediate and can be costly.

Whether you’re operating a single location, group practice or DSO, a vacuum issue can slow productivity, strain teammates and detract from the care experience. For larger organizations, the stakes can be higher as variability across operatories and locations can make it harder to maintain standardized workflows and consistent patient experiences.

In all practice types, unreliable suction can compromise efficiency, patient comfort and infection control.

How Weak Suction Impacts Care

When a vacuum can’t keep pace, the consequences can show up everywhere:

• Clinicians spend more time managing fluids and debris
• Patients experience discomfort as fluid control falters
• Aerosol capture becomes less effective
• Schedules slip and team stress builds

The result can be lower productivity and higher frustration—for both providers and patients.

Why Some Dental Vacuums Struggle

Many dry vacuums rely on fixed-speed regenerative blower pumps to create suction. While these can perform acceptably under light conditions, they often lose suction strength when challenged with real-world demands like evacuating solids, blood and tissue or supporting multiple users at once. These daily demands increase pressure and resistance in operatory lines, and because regenerative blowers cannot adjust impeller speed to push through that resistance, airflow drops off, weakening suction.^1,2,3,4.

Some dry vacuums depend on variable-speed blower pumps to produce suction.^2,4 While these pumps can adjust impeller speed to better manage changes in pressure, every blower has a maximum resistance it can overcome.^1,3 Past that threshold, airflow falls sharply, often approaching zero.⁴

The Physics: Why Airflow Drops Off

In both blower systems a high-speed impeller (essentially a specialized fan blade) pushes air rapidly outward, forming a low-pressure pocket that pulls air in (i.e., creates suction) from the operatory lines. When the everyday demands of dentistry increase pressure and resistance in the operatory lines, it becomes harder to move air through the system. The impeller would need to spin faster to maintain airflow, but:

• Regenerative blowers can only spin at a set rate.
• Variable-speed blowers can spin faster to help overcome resistance, but they are still bound by the limits of blower physics—meaning suction often weakens under heavier loads.^2,3

A Stronger Approach: Positive Displacement

Positive displacement pumps work differently. Instead of depending on airflow speed alone, they trap and move fixed volumes of air through the system at a constant rate to deliver steady suction—even when demand peaks.

The Physics: Consistent Airflow = Consistent Suction

Inside the positive displacement pump, rotary claws spin to enclose a fixed volume of air every cycle and sweep it forward into the discharge pipe. As each air pocket is discharged at the outlet, a new pocket opens at the inlet, creating a continuous low-pressure area that draws in air from the operatory lines.

This cycle of trapping, moving and discharging pockets of air repeats at a steady rate—even when pressure rises. The pump simply adjusts force to consistently displace the same amount of air, providing a constant, reliable flow.

That means you get:

• Dependable suction across procedures and operatories
• Strong evacuation without variability
• Scalable reliability to support multiple procedures and providers at once

The Hidden Costs of Inconsistent Suction

Unreliable suction doesn’t just slow procedures, it can also create ripple effects that impact the bottom line. Delays in treatment add up over the course of the day, which can lead to fewer patients being treated and more strain on the team. In some cases, procedures may even need to be paused or rescheduled, creating frustration for providers and patients alike.

For larger practices and DSOs, inconsistency across operatories or locations can make scheduling and standardization more complex. Over time, these small inefficiencies can reduce productivity and increase operating costs.

The patient experience is also vital to consider. When comfort is compromised or appointments are delayed, some patients may be less inclined to return or may seek care elsewhere. Retaining patients is an essential part of practice health—and reliability in the operatory plays a role in preserving that trust.

Infection Control Depends on Consistency

Reliable suction also plays an important role in supporting infection control. High-volume evacuation (HVE) can reduce aerosols and salivary contamination by 90% or more.⁵ But it only works if suction remains constant at the source. Weak or variable performance compromises infection prevention—something no practice can afford to risk.

Midmark PowerVac^® and PowerVac G

Whether you’re managing a single practice or hundreds of operatories, Midmark PowerVac and PowerVac G Dry Vacuums are built to deliver consistency and peace of mind. These vacuums are engineered for:

• Reliable performance with rotary-claw positive displacement technology
• Patient and teammate comfort with quiet operation as low as 48 dBA
• Simpler maintenance and lower costs with an oil-less, waterless design
• Extra savings with PowerVac G on-demand energy management
• Growth and protection with modular scalability and long product warranties

Conclusion

From independent practices to the largest DSOs, inconsistent suction can disrupt care, productivity and patient trust. Positive displacement technology is the reliable vacuum solution that can keep operatories running smoothly and infection control protocols intact.

Find out how Midmark vacuums can help your practice stay consistent, efficient and patient focused. Connect with us to learn more or schedule a consultation today.