New Research to Guide Oral Health Professionals on Safe Practices During COVID-19 Pandemic

Research published in the Journal of Dentistry is helping to inform oral health professionals on how to safely treat patients during the global pandemic by mitigating the risks of dental aerosols, according to a study led by Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. 

Investigators found that dental suction used in open clinic settings substantially decreased contamination at sites further away from the patient, such as bays 16 feet away, according to the study. “Often these distant sites had no contamination present or if contamination was detected it was at very low levels, diluted by 60,000 to 70,000 times,” the study stated.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. February 2021;19(2):11.