Practice Tips #132: Cuspidor Drain Kit Connection

So you have a cuspidor on your delivery unit? Because of this, the cuspidor drain kit is an integral and necessary connection for your system. A gravity drain is no longer acceptable, as it does not go through the amalgam retrieval system. Your drainage from your cuspidor must now go through your vacuum system and hence your amalgam separation system.

We have a straightforward and helpful diagram of how this assembly works. See below:

How the Cuspidor Drain Kit Works

Water flows down what is left of the drain from the cuspidor. The cuspidor drain kit has a connection to the filter on the bottom of the nipple fitting. Make sure to use a cuspidor strainer and check the filter on a regular basis to remove excess debris. When the water from the bowl reaches the diaphragm in the gray casing, enough water pressure builds up to open the diaphragm. It then sucks upward through the top nipple fitting into the corrugated tubing, where it has been teed into the vacuum line. From there it quickly disperses through your vacuum system and hence through the amalgam separation system.

• For installation instructions of the cuspidor drain kit, see HERE.

Trapped Debris?

Minimize the debris that flows through the cuspidor drain kit to make sure that small debris does not get caught at the diaphragm. If debris gets trapped, you may experience a sucking sound because of the vacuum or a “chattering” sound. This happens because the trapped debris won’t allow the diaphragm to close properly. It is imperative to flush that out. This is where the accompanying clear tubing and the small gray nipple comes in.

1. Attach the little nipple to the end of whatever length of tubing you need.
2. Then attach the other end of the tubing to the small barb-like projection at the back of the gray casing.
3. If debris doesn’t allow the diaphragm to close, take the small nipple and press it against an open saliva ejector. This pulls back the diaphragm just a little bit more, so you get a better flush of water to dislodge the debris.
4. If your saliva ejector reaches that far, you can skip using the tubing and the small nipple and just press the open saliva ejector over the barb-like protrusion on the back of the gray casing.