There has been concern about aerosol contamination in the dental office. A study by Timmerman, et al published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology evaluated the aerosol production of piezo-electric ultrasonic scalers during initial periodontal treatment. The study evaluated 17 treatment sessions for 6 patients (a 40-minute period of continuous plaque and calculus removal using an ultrasonic instrument). Patients had generalized adult periodontitis. During treatment, either high-volume evacuation (HVE) or conventional dental suction (CDS) was used randomly with each patient. No procedures had been performed in the operating room for 15 hours before each session. Petri dishes containing blood agar were exposed for 10 minutes in the operatory before beginning the session (baseline), at the beginning of each session for 5 minutes (40 cm from the patients mouth), and repeated after 20 minutes. Petri dishes were also placed 150 cm from the patients mouth for 20 minutes, then new dishes were used for the remainder of the session. The total and mean total numbers of colony-forming units were determined using aerobic and anaerobic cultures for 3 and 7 days.
The study found that microbial contamination of the atmosphere in the dental operatory with the use of the ultrasonic scaler was not a significant problem. No differences between the HVE and CDS values were significant; both methods of evacuation kept the operatory atmosphere in good condition, although the use of HVE is suggested to minimize the risks of contaminating the air with microbes.
(Source: Dental Abstracts, Vol. 50, No. 1, 2005)
