The authors of this research article found that ultrasonic scalers generated a significant number of aerosols and spatters, with a majority of the particles being in the respiratory range (i.e., able to be inhaled into the respiratory system). The size distribution of the aerosols and spatters varied depending on the ultrasonic scaler and irrigation solution used. For example, the use of a curette tip generated a higher quantity of aerosols and spatters compared to a chisel tip. The sizes generated by the ultrasonic scalers ranged from 0.3 to 10 micrometers, with the majority being less than 5 micrometers. The authors found that the number of aerosols and spatters increased with increasing power settings and decreased with increasing working distances.
In terms of the effectiveness of extraoral local extraction (ELE), the authors found that this method was able to significantly reduce the number of aerosols and spatters generated during ultrasonic scaling procedures by 96%. The authors also found that ELE was most effective when used in combination with high-volume evacuation (HVE), which involves the use of a suction device to remove saliva and other liquids from the mouth during dental procedures (typically used in procedures like crown preparation and tooth extractions) as it was found to have an 88% reduction in aerosols.
The authors also found that the use of a saliva ejector (a suction device used to remove saliva from the mouth) alone was not effective at reducing the number of aerosols and spatters generated by ultrasonic scalers. This suggests that saliva ejectors alone may not be sufficient for mitigating the risk of infection associated with ultrasonic scalers, and that the use of ELE may be necessary in order to effectively reduce the number of aerosols and spatters generated during these procedures.
Overall, the results of the study suggest that ultrasonic scalers can generate a significant number of aerosols and spatters, and that the use of ELE may be an effective method for mitigating this risk. It is worth noting that the study was conducted in a laboratory setting and the authors do not provide data on the effectiveness of ELE in a clinical setting. However, the results of the study do suggest that ELE may be a useful tool for reducing the risk of infection associated with ultrasonic scalers.
This post is intended as a summary for the JADA published article “Characterization and mitigation of aerosols and spatters from ultrasonic scalers” Ou Q, Placucci RG, Danielson J, Anderson G, Olin P, Jardine P, Madden J, Yuan Q, Grafe TH, Shao S, Hong J, Pui DYH.
To read the full article please check it out on Jada’s website: Characterization and mitigation of aerosols and spatters from ultrasonic scalers