![]() ![]() However, there is no classification on droplet size distributions of aerosols generated by dental instruments. In addition, there are several ISO standards based on the general and specific characteristics of dental instruments, on the materials and on the shape of the dental instruments ( Ahmed & Jackson, 2019). There are several classifications for dental instruments based on shape and materials of the tips. Some of these measures include patients wearing face masks in the waiting rooms, treating patients alone in a room, use of rubber dam during the operations or use of high-volume extraction devices ( Li et al., 2020 Politis et al., 2020a, 2020b). With the reopening of dental practices, new safety measures were suggested in dental clinics. The dental healthcare was reduced to acute needs worldwide during the lock-down periods. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance of dental aerosols as vectors of infection transmission to the forefront. The study of dental aerosols dates back over 30 years ( Micik et al., 1969, 1971 Miller et al., 1971). We believe that this work gives health-care professionals, policy makers and engineers who design dental instruments insights into a safer dental practice.Īirborne diseases such as pneumonic plague, tuberculosis, influenza, Legionnaires’ disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and flu in dental settings have been a topic of concern in dental settings for a while ( Harrel & Molinari, 2004). ![]() We recommend that dentists wear a face shield and N95/FFP2/KN95 masks instead of surgical masks. This can reduce the risk of disease transmission among patients. We suggest that relative humidity in dental offices are adjusted to 50% to prevent fast evaporation while maintaining comfort in the office. Small droplets can evaporate completely before reaching the ground and can be suspended in the air for a long time. With the measured velocities reaching up to 5 m s −1, droplets can easily reach the dentist in a few seconds. With a larger fraction of small droplets, rotary atomization poses a higher risk. Droplet size distribution changed based on operational parameters such as liquid flow rate or air pressure. Both dental instruments had wide size distributions including small droplets. By fitting the data to probability density distributions and using empirical equations to predict droplet sizes, we were able to postulate the main factors that determine droplet sizes. Droplet size distributions and velocities were measured with a high-speed camera and a rail system. In this work, we aimed to characterize dental aerosols produced by both methods, namely by Mectron PIEZOSURGERY® and KaVo EXPERTtorque™. Dental aerosols that are produced by ultrasonic or rotary atomization are considered to pose the highest risks. Most dental instruments feature a build-in atomizer. Fundamental understanding on atomization mechanism and dynamics of dental aerosols are needed while assessing the risks. Studies on dental aerosols often focus on bacterial viability or particle size measurements inside dental offices during and after dental procedures, which limits their conclusions to specific cases. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining safety in dental operations has challenged health care providers and policy makers.
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