Radif Mustafa, Young Andrew, Salmon Eric, Ojcius David M, Gupta Shika
Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Int Dent J. 2025 Jun;75(3):1906-1912. doi: 10.1016/j.identj.2025.01.015. Epub 2025 Feb 12.
Aerosol generation during dental procedures poses significant risks due to the potential for transmitting aerosol-bound microorganisms, including those in dental unit waterlines. This study aimed to quantify aerosol dispersion at various distances from dental procedures using a high-speed electric handpiece, with a focus on the effectiveness of various aerosol mitigation strategies.
Employing a mannequin head with an artificial tooth (typodont), we simulated clinical settings without the use of saliva to solely assess the contribution of dental unit waterlines and mechanical factors to aerosol production. Measurements were taken using a spectrometer at distances of 0, 0.9, and 1.8 meters from the handpiece.
The results showed no significant difference in aerosol dispersion between 0.9 and 1.8 meters without evacuation. In contrast, the use of high-volume evacuators, particularly the Isolite system, significantly decreased aerosol dispersion across all distances.
We found that any type of high-volume evacuator can decrease aerosol dispersion, but the use of Isolite was the most effective.
The results from this study can influence choice of safety measures to minimize aerosol spread during dental procedures.
牙科诊疗过程中产生的气溶胶具有传播气溶胶附着微生物（包括牙科设备水线中的微生物）的潜在风险，因而带来重大隐患。本研究旨在使用高速电动牙钻，量化牙科诊疗操作在不同距离处的气溶胶扩散情况，重点关注各种气溶胶缓解策略的有效性。
我们使用带有一颗人造牙的人体模型头（教学模型牙），在不使用唾液的情况下模拟临床环境，以单独评估牙科设备水线和机械因素对气溶胶产生的影响。使用光谱仪在距离牙钻0米、0.9米和1.8米处进行测量。
结果表明，在没有抽气装置的情况下，0.9米和1.8米处的气溶胶扩散没有显著差异。相比之下，使用大容量抽气装置，特别是Isolite系统，在所有距离上都显著降低了气溶胶扩散。
我们发现任何类型的大容量抽气装置都可以降低气溶胶扩散，但使用Isolite最为有效。
本研究结果可影响在牙科诊疗过程中尽量减少气溶胶传播的安全措施选择。
