The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all in many ways, and among the most affected were nurses and other healthcare workers who were unable to access enough medical masks to safely see their patients. We are proud that one of our team members, Dr. Andrey Doroshenko, stepped in to do his part in helping to flatten the curve of this virus by creating 3-D printed masks.
Dr. Doroshenko is your local prosthodontist in Baltimore, MD. He is also an avid cyclist, and for the past 7 weeks, he has cycled to our office almost every day to prep the 3-D printer to create medical masks. It takes the 3-D printer around 15 hours to produce one mask. So far, Dr. Doroshenko has created over 40 masks and plans to continue doing this until the need for them subsides.
This project started out as a simple internet search. Dr. Doroshenko heard about several nurses who severely lacked masks at EMORY and wanted to know what he could do to help. When he found a template for medical masks that could be printed on a 3-D printer, he was excited about the opportunity to make a difference during this very stressful time. As word got around about his project, Dr. Doroshenko has been able to provide these masks to local nurses in need and even created enough for everyone on our team to have one as well.
The 3-D printed masks are created to be reusable as long as you change out the filter. The base is made of a resin material that hardens underneath the light of a laser, similar to the way in which a dental filling is placed. Once complete, this base is durable enough to be wiped down after seeing each patient. The masks are adjustable to ensure a snug and secure fit. When a mask was complete, Dr. Doroshenko educated those he gave them to on how to properly change the filter.
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Dr. Lazer, Dr. Doroshenko, and our dental care team are committed to the safety of our patients. We have always followed all guidelines and requirements of the ADA and OSHA to maintain a safe office environment, and our plan is to continue to do so. In light of recent health concerns and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are adding additional office protocols to further protect our patients and staff and to prevent the spread of infection. Click here for more information on our patient safety initiatives. As of May 7th, we are now allowed to see patients for non-emergency dental care. Please schedule an appointment with us, and we look forward to seeing you all soon!