AEROSOL AND SPLATTER CONTAMINATION FROM THE OPERATIVE SITE DURING ULTRASONIC SCALING

As concern about indoor air quality increases, attention is being plac ed on the aerosol and splatter produced during dental procedures. This study quantifies the contamination produced by ultrasonic scalers dur ing in vitro scaling without coolant water. When compared with the han dheld curette used as a control, all ultrasonic scalers and tips teste d produced significant aerosol and splatter regardless of the type of scaler, the power level or the insert. The ADA-recommended method for controlling contaminated aerosol and splatter is the use of a large-bo re high-volume evacuator. This study supports the ADA recommendation o f use of a high-volume evacuator whenever ultrasonic scaling is perfor med.