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Qualitative and quantitative analysis of aerosol and droplet dispersion during simulated dental implant procedures
Hiromitsu Morishima1, Tomonari Kajita2, Jun Watanabe3,4
1Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Miyagi, Japan. hiromitsu.morishima.b3@tohoku.ac.jp.
Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the generation and dispersion dynamics of aerosols and droplets produced during dental procedures, including implant surgery.
Materials & Methods:
Dental procedures were simulated on a test model using three different instruments: an air turbine handpiece, an ultrasonic device, and an implant motor. Particle behavior was visualized using two types of illumination light sources combined with a high-speed digital camera, enabling both qualitative and quantitative assessments of aerosol and droplet dispersion. Additionally, droplet deposition on water-sensitive paper placed in three different locations was analyzed to compare dispersion patterns among the three instruments.
Results:
The air turbine handpiece produced the highest luminance intensity (mean ± SD: 112.3 ± 6.4 a.u., n = 9), which was significantly greater than that of the implant motor (78.5 ± 5.2 a.u., n = 9; p < 0.05). For all devices, droplet diffusion was lower during molar treatment than during anterior tooth procedures. Water-sensitive paper analysis revealed increased droplet deposition at the extraoral vacuum site when the vacuum was activated (air turbine: 62 droplets; ultrasonic device: 49 droplets; n = 3 trials each), whereas droplet counts decreased at the patient's forehead.
Conclusions:
Simulated implant surgery generated less droplet dispersion compared with other dental procedures. Furthermore, the use of an extraoral vacuum markedly reduced droplet spread during various dental treatments.
Clinical Relevance:
These data support layered controls-judicious instrument selection and extraoral suction-to reduce exposure during aerosol-generating procedures. Findings derive from a standardized simulation and should be validated in clinical settings.
