Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications.
BACKGROUND
Aerosols and droplets are produced during many dental procedures. With the advent of the droplet-spread disease severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, a review of the infection control procedures for aerosols is warranted.


METHODS
The authors reviewed representative medical and dental literature for studies and reports that documented the spread of disease through an airborne route. They also reviewed the dental literature for representative studies of contamination from various dental procedures and methods of reducing airborne contamination from those procedures.


RESULTS
The airborne spread of measles, tuberculosis and SARS is well-documented in the medical literature. The dental literature shows that many dental procedures produce aerosols and droplets that are contaminated with bacteria and blood. These aerosols represent a potential route for disease transmission. The literature also documents that airborne contamination can be minimized easily and inexpensively by layering several infection control steps into the routine precautions used during all dental procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to the routine use of standard barriers such as masks and gloves, the universal use of preprocedural rinses and high-volume evacuation is recommended.
Harrel
Stephen K
SK
Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, USA. skh1@airmail.net
Molinari
John
J
D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D003770:Dental Offices; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D019552:Infection Control, Dental / Q000379:methods; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control
D000336:Aerosols