A dental air compressor should be equipped with an compressed air dryer. There are different types of air dryers available, mainly refrigerated and desiccant. But I would recommend the adsorption air dryer (also called desiccant compressed air dryer).

Refrigerated compressed air dryers will only give you a pressure dew point of minimum 2 degrees. This means that below two degrees, water condensate will form on the inside of your dental equipment. This kind of dewpoint is nice for tools and grinders in a workshop, but is not low enough for a dental compressor.

Desiccant compressed air dryers will create a much lower pressure dewpoint, as low as minus 40 degrees or more. This means that the relative humidity in the compressed air system, and the absolute amount of water in the air (grams/m3) is also very low.

With such a low relative humidity and a completely dry air receiver and piping system, the chance of bacteria grow is very low.
What other features does a dental compressor need to have?

Besides producing clean air (no oil, no water), a dental compressor has some other features that are a must-have for many dentists.

As they are installed in a clean clinic, in a office-like environment (as opposed to an industrial environment), the compressor needs to be quiet, small and work on a standard 220 / 100 volt power outlet.

As the dentist will be busy with its everyday job of fixing peoples teeth, he won’t be very concerned with compressor maintenance. So a maintenance free compressor would be ideal.

When buying a compressor, also make sure that the output (the amount of air it can produce per minute or hour) is right for you. A too-small compressor will give you problem for the obvious reason that the pressure will drop when too many people use air at once.

But a too big compressor can also cause problems. If the compressor is so big that it only runs for 5 minutes a day, every other day, than problems with corrosion can occur, as the compressor never gets the chance to run for some time and get hot. It’s like when you lie in your bed all day for a year… you’ll get slow, lazy, tired.

The quality of the air produced is as good as the quality of the air that is sucked in. In a hot, damp boiler room, or in a cold and damp basement, the chances of dirt water an bacteria growth in the compressed air system is much higher.

Install the compressor in a place where it can suck in clean air and where you can easily reach it for maintenance. Dental compressors are so quiet nowadays, that there is no need to hide it in the basement anymore.