Aerosol and splatter contamination from the operative site during ultrasonic scaling. Academic Article

abstract

• As concern about indoor air quality increases, attention is being placed on the aerosol and splatter produced during dental procedures. This study quantifies the contamination produced by ultrasonic scalers during in vitro scaling without coolant water. When compared with the handheld curette used as a control, all ultrasonic scalers and tips tested produced significant aerosol and splatter regardless of the type of scaler, the power level or the insert. The ADA-recommended method for controlling contaminated aerosol and splatter is the use of a large-bore high-volume evacuator. This study supports the ADA recommendation of use of a high-volume evacuator whenever ultrasonic scaling is performed.

authors

• Harrel, Stephen

published proceedings

• J Am Dent Assoc

author list (cited authors)

• Harrel, S. K., Barnes, J. B., & Rivera-Hidalgo, F.

citation count

• 94

complete list of authors

• Harrel, SK||Barnes, JB||Rivera-Hidalgo, F

publication date

• January 1998

publisher

• Elsevier  Publisher

published in

• n0002-8177ISSN  Journal

keywords

• Aerosols
• Air Pollutants, Occupational
• Air Pollution, Indoor
• Coloring Agents
• Dental Scaling
• Equipment Design
• Fluorescein
• Humans
• Risk Factors
• Single-Blind Method
• Subgingival Curettage
• Suction
• Ultrasonic Therapy
• Water

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.14219/jada.archive.1998.0421

start page

• 1241

end page

• 1249

volume

• 129

issue

• 9

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.1998.0421