Aerosol generated by dental procedures: A scoping review

Abstract

Background:The current pandemic has raised awareness of aerosol dispersion in dental offices. This scoping review was conducted to assess the amount and spread of aerosol generated by dental procedures.Methods: This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR protocol and was conducted by searching multiple databases adopting a core search structure for each database.Detailed eligibility criteria were applied. The authors placed no restrictions on study design, year of publication, and study location. The literature search was updated on September 15, 2021.Results: A total of 51 papers were included in this scoping review. The risk of bias assessment was not conducted as per guidelines. The majority of studies found microorganisms, bloodstains, splatters of aerosol, and particles in the air part of the search strategy. Publication dates ranged from 1969 to 2021. Data came from different dental settings locations. Several factors were identified that have an effect on the amount and spread of the aerosol and spatter. Conclusion:Although it is clear that the microbial contamination occurred mainly during aerosol-generating dental procedures, our understanding of the contamination level, spread, and half-life are limited.

Aerosol exposure of staff during dental treatments: a model study

“…Due to their small size, they remain airborne for a long time [ 6 ]. Droplets are larger than aerosols and tend to settle faster [ 7 ]. The size of aerosols is not conclusively defined and, depending on the publication, usually varies from less than 5 µm to less than 50 µm in diameter [ 8 ].…”

“…Moreover, the salivary glands and saliva itself have been identified as important virus reservoirs, which makes the saliva-contaminated dental aerosol appear to be a potential source of infection [ 12 – 14 ]. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many studies have been conducted on the generation and elimination of dental aerosols [ 7 , 15 , 16 ]. Due to the heterogeneity of the methodologies used, the evidence base is still limited and requires further research.…”

Can aerosols-generating dental, oral and maxillofacial, and orthopedic surgical procedures lead to disease transmission? An implication on the current COVID-19 pandemic

“…Microorganisms were found on PPEs, such as sleeves, masks, face shields, and chest of the scrubs, justifying the usage of PPE to prevent further spread [ 26 ]. Contamination was evaluated with most contamination confined to the patient, operator, and assistant [ 72 ], and maximum concentration was found near the mouth of the dentist [ 31 ].…”

A comparison study of dental pulp stem cells derived from healthy and orthodontically intruded human permanent teeth for mesenchymal stem cell characterisation

“…In this study, tooth-cutting and pulp extirpation were performed in the Postgraduate Clinic where ultrasonic scaling was frequently performed. Bacterial aerosol contamination due to ultrasonic scaling might be one of the possible factors that contributed to the low isolation success rate of DPSCs in this study [ 21 , 22 ]. In addition, environmental contaminants may also be present due to the recirculation of bacterial aerosols by the centralised air conditioning system [ 23 , 24 ].…”