June 16, 2021 — Orange, CA — SOTA Imaging today announced the launch of Cazoo, an extraoral aerosol evacuator that reduces dental aerosols, helping protect dentists, dental staff, and patients from dangerous particulates that can transmit COVID-19 — all for only $99.

Safeguards to protect dental staff are of particular importance today with the majority of hiring dentists reporting recruitment challenges. Dental staff who are in the workplace, or are considering returning to the workplace, need to feel safe and protected.

According to the ADA, “Compared with before the pandemic, more than 80% of owner dentists who are currently hiring are finding the recruitment of dental hygienists and assistants to be extremely or very challenging:

• For dental hygienists, 66.3% of dentists said recruitment was extremely challenging and 19.7% reported it was very challenging.

• For dental assistants, 59.2% of dentists found recruitment to be extremely challenging and 23.9% stated it was very challenging.”

In addition, more than 70% of owner dentists said recruitment of administrative staff was extremely or very challenging and more than 50% of owners report the same for recruiting associate dentists, ADA finds.

"Many shortages, especially in dental hygiene and chairside assistant, existed prior to the COVID-19 virus,” Duc "Duke" M. Ho, DDS, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice, told ADA News. “However, these shortages have been exacerbated by the pandemic, as more employees have left the workforce for a variety of reasons, including early retirement, concerns about safety at the time and a desire for more work-life balance."

Recent American Dental Hygienists’ Association poll data indicates “that for dental hygienists who have voluntarily left their positions, 42.9% reported, ‘I do not want to work as a dental hygienist until after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.’ Another 38.1% stated, ‘I have concerns about my employer's adherence to workplace/safety standards.’”

“Cazoo was designed to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19,” said Albert Kim, SOTA Imaging Vice President. “It not only helps reduce dental aerosols in a cost-effective way, it’s also easy to incorporate into virtually any dental practice.”

Cazoo connects directly to standard high-volume evacuator (HVE) lines, allowing dental practices to quickly begin reducing aerosols. With an extraoral HVE attachment in place, dental practices can significantly reduce airborne particulates. In fact, research shows a reduction of particulates by up to 90.8% when compared to an intraorally positioned standard saliva ejector.

Cazoo can be applied using a lip attachment or can be attached to most leading cheek retractors. A splash guard (sold separately) can also be attached to Cazoo for additional protection from aerosols. The ability to apply directly on the lip or use a cheek retractor allows for hands-free use. An arm accessory (sold separately) is also available, providing practitioners the ability to precisely position Cazoo and further enable two-hand dentistry and hygiene procedures.

“Cazoo is one of the easiest ways to reduce dental aerosols,” said Kim. “I’m excited about the launch of this new solution and look forward to helping the dental community reduce aerosols and minimize the risk of COVID-19.”

SOTA Imaging is a leading manufacturer of dental imaging hardware, software, and accessories. SOTA Imaging solutions include Clio digital x-ray sensors, the Claris i5HD intraoral camera, SOTA Image dental imaging software, and dental accessories, including the Cazoo Extraoral Aerosol Evacuator. Call 888.266.7682 or visit sotaimaging.com.