Investigation of the spreading characteristics of bacterial aerosol contamination during dental scaling treatment

Background/purpose: This study attempted to understand the spreading characteristics of airborne bacterial contaminants during dental scaling treatment. Materials and methods: Bacterial aerosols were collected with gelatin filters, in a single-chair clinic during ultrasonic scaling treatments on two patients with periodontitis. Results: The results showed that bacterial aerosols contamination could spread a horizontal distance of 100 cm and a vertical distance of 50 cm from a patient's oral cavity, and remain airborne suspended for 20 minutes. Conclusion: Proper environmental and personal infection control measures, including isolation, ventilation, and full-cover facial shield, are recommended to diminish the contaminating risk in dental clinics. Copyright (C) 2014, Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.