Dental simulation lab: the steps to equip it

01Step 1: teaching needs and room layout

Everything starts from the curriculum: how many students per session, which disciplines (restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontology, paediatric dentistry), how many workstations must operate at the same time, and where the instructor's station goes. These answers set the number of workstations, the layout and the capacity of the infrastructure.

On our Universitiespage, the interactive planner draws the room live according to the number of workstations and the layout: in rows, as an amphitheatre or in islands of four. You can then request the layout and design study for your room.

Questions to settle at the study stage

• Number of student workstations and instructor station.
• Maximum number of workstations using suction and air at the same time.
• Location and size of the plant room.
• Routing of the suction and compressed air pipework.
• Dental models used in each year of study.

02Step 2: the student workstation

The workstation combines a Saratoga Smily E simulator, a phantom head and a dental model. The Frasaco information below comes from AxeMed product sheets based on Frasaco documentation.

The phantom head

The Frasaco PK-2 phantom head is presented by Frasaco as a more affordable alternative to the P-6 series, with no compromise on handling. It is compatible with the model mounts, face masks and water drainage options of the P-6 series; the dental model and mount are not included. The P-6 GMN mask is the standard face mask for Frasaco phantom heads.

Dental models

• Frasaco AG-3 : standard working model, upper and lower jaw, 32 screw-in teeth in thermosetting plastic, removable elastic gingiva (AG-3 WOK for the upper jaw).
• Frasaco AK-6 : paediatric mixed dentition model.
• Frasaco A-PZ KR : periodontology model with pink transparent gingivae.

Replacement teeth

Teeth are ordered individually, by number, in bags of 10: for example AG-3 ZE no. 16 for the AG-3 or ANKA-4 ZE no. 16 (click system). Restocking before each new academic year avoids shortages during practical sessions.

03Step 3: suction and compressed air

In a simulation lab, the infrastructure is sized on the number of workstations operating at the same time, just as in a clinic.

Central suction

Cattani points out that a central suction system does not deliver air directly to the workstation but to the pipework network: without a suitable network, the flow at the workstation cannot be guaranteed (Cattani Smart manual, p. 11). The pipework design is decisive, because the energy of the flow decreases along the pipe; Cattani states that it can produce this design (Cattani technical documentation, 2022, pp. 26-30). The plant room must be large enough to move around the machine and must be cooled, and soundproofing matters for working comfort (same training, pp. 32 and 38).

Compressed air

Source: Cattani AC 900, AC 1200 and AC 1800 data sheets, calculated on 55 N l/min per chair. Beyond that, Cattani builds custom compressed air plants (Cattani compressors manual, p. 18). Compressor details are in our guide Which dental compressor.

04Step 4: plans, public tender and ordering

The plans are coordinated with the institution's architect and technicians: workstation layout, pipework routing, plant room, electrical supply. For a public institution, AxeMed submits a bid that complies with the tender specifications, with full manufacturer documentation (manuals, technical data sheets, declarations).

For hospitals and universities, AxeMed sends its invoices via Peppol. See also our Universities and Hospitals.

What a bid file should contain

• Room layout and list of workstations.
• Manufacturers' technical data sheets and manuals for each piece of equipment.
• Sizing of suction and compressed air, with the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Plant room requirements: temperature, ventilation, electrical supply, drainage.
• Training and maintenance plan.

05Step 5: installation, training and commissioning

Installation is carried out with the manufacturers. For compressed air, Cattani requires installation by an equipped, trained technician, who performs the commissioning tests and trains users in routine maintenance (Cattani compressors manual, p. 12). Before start-up, the suction and air pipes must be clean, as heavy debris can damage the equipment (same source).

For suction, staff training in use and maintenance is carried out on a unit that has not yet been contaminated; staff learn to read the display, interpret alarms and carry out maintenance with Puli-Jet Plus 2.0, the Pulse Cleaner and the anti-foam tablets (Cattani Smart manual, p. 17).

06Over time: maintenance and consumables

• Suction: evening routine with Puli-Jet Plus 2.0 and annual checks (see Suction maintenance).
• Filters: antibacterial filter on the exhaust air and compressor head filters, to be replaced every 12 months according to Cattani (see Cattani parts and filters).
• Amalgam: container replacement at the 100% alarm (see Amalgam separator).
• Simulation: replacement teeth, gingivae and masks for each new academic year.

→Products mentioned

Frasaco PK-2 – Phantom head with simulation articulatorRef. PK-21 279,00 € excl. VATFrasaco AG-3 – Standard working model, upper and lower jaw, 32 screw-in teethRef. AG-3190,90 € excl. VATFrasaco P-6 GMN – Standard face mask for phantom headRef. P-6 GMN96,90 € excl. VATFrasaco AG-3 ZE – Tooth no. 16 (upper right first molar), bag of 10Ref. AG-3 ZE N°1627,90 € excl. VATFrasaco AK-6 – Pedodontic mixed-dentition model (20 deciduous teeth + 4 permanent molars), low gingival contourRef. AK-6227,90 € excl. VAT

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