Aerosol generated by dental procedures: A scoping review

The current pandemic has raised awareness of aerosol dispersion in dental offices. This scoping review was conducted to assess the amount and spread of aerosol generated by dental procedures.

This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR protocol and was conducted by searching multiple databases adopting a core search structure for each database. Detailed eligibility criteria were applied. The authors placed no restrictions on study design, year of publication, and study location. The literature search was updated on September 15, 2021.

A total of 51 papers were included in this scoping review. The risk of bias assessment was not conducted as per guidelines. The majority of studies found microorganisms, bloodstains, splatters of aerosol, and particles in the air part of the search strategy. Publication dates ranged from 1969 to 2021. Data came from different dental settings locations. Several factors were identified that have an effect on the amount and spread of the aerosol and spatter.

Although it is clear that the microbial contamination occurred mainly during aerosol-generating dental procedures, our understanding of the contamination level, spread, and half-life are limited.