In situ Measurement of Airborne Particle Concentration in a Real Dental Office: Implications for Disease Transmission

TL;DR

This study quantitatively measures aerosol dispersion in dental offices, revealing how air purification and room conditions affect particle removal times, with implications for infection control during procedures like COVID-19.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed in situ measurements of aerosol behavior in dental settings, informing guidelines to reduce disease transmission risk.

Findings

Air purifiers significantly reduce aerosol removal time.

Larger particles settle faster than smaller ones.

Aerosols can travel beyond the source even after concentrations decrease.

Abstract

Recent guidelines by WHO recommend delaying non-essential oral health care amid COVID-19 pandemic and call for research on aerosol generated during dental procedures. Thus, this study aims to assess the mechanisms of dental aerosol dispersion in dental offices and to provide recommendations based on a quantitative study to minimize infection transmission in dental offices. The spread and removal of aerosol particles generated from dental procedures in a dental office are measured near the source and at the corner of the office. We studied the effects of air purification (on/off), door condition (open/close), and particle sizes on the temporal concentration distribution of particles. The results show that in the worst-scenario scenario it takes 95 min for 0.5 um particles to settle, and that it takes a shorter time for the larger particles. The indoor air purifier tested expedited the removal time at least 6.3 times faster than the scenario air purifier off. Airborne particles may be transported from the source to the rest of the room, even when the particle concentrations in the generation zone return to the background level. These results are expected to be valuable to related policy making and technology development for infection disease control in dental offices and similar built environments.