Affiliation:
1. Department of Periodontology, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing China
2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing China
Abstract
AbstractObjectivesUltrasonic scaling is extensively applied as part of the initial therapy for periodontal diseases, which has been restricted since the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic due to droplets and aerosols generated by ultrasonic devices. An extraoral scavenging device (EOS) was designed for diminishing droplets and aerosols in dental clinics. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of EOS on eliminating droplets and aerosols during ultrasonic supragingival scaling.MethodsThis single‐blinded, randomised controlled clinical trial enrolled 45 patients with generalised periodontitis (stage I or II, grade A or B) or plaque‐induced gingivitis. The patients were randomly allocated and received ultrasonic supragingival scaling under three different intervention measures: only saliva ejector (SE), SE plus EOS and SE plus high‐volume evacuation (HVE). The natural sedimentation method was applied to sample droplets and aerosols before or during supragingival scaling. After aerobic culturing, colony‐forming units (CFUs) were counted and analysed.ResultsCompared with the level before treatment, more CFUs of samples throughout treatment could be obtained at the operator's chest and the patient's chest and the table surface when using SE alone (p < 0.05). Compared with the SE group, the SE + EOS group and the SE + HVE group obtained decreasing CFUs at the operator's chest and the patient's chest (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was determined between these two groups.ConclusionsThe EOS effectively eliminated splatter contamination from ultrasonic supragingival scaling, which was an alternative precaution for nosocomial contamination in dental clinics.