Speed of Dental Drills Impacts COVID-19 Transmission
A new British study demonstrates that slowing the speed of the dental handpiece may significantly decrease aerosol transmission.
As the global pandemic rages on, reducing the risk of viral transmission in the dental setting remains top of mind. A new British study demonstrates that slowing the speed of the dental handpiece may significantly decrease aerosol transmission.
The authors found that by reducing the speed of dental handpieces that use water as a coolant and avoiding the use of those that use a combination of air and water as a coolant, the number of aerosol droplets produced during typical procedures—such as restoring a caries lesions—could be decreased by 60 times.
The study, “Mechanisms of Atomization from Rotary Dental Instruments and Its Mitigation,” was published in the December issue of the Journal of Dental Research.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. January 2021;19(1):11.
