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Characterization of Aerosols and Airborne Particles in a Dental Setting

Sadoughipour, Niloufar
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7428-4892
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1659717943625753

Abstract Details

2022, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Mechanical Engineering.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, dental clinics were asked to suspend due to an elevated risk of airborne viral transmission. Dental professionals and their assistants were thought to be at a significantly high risk due to the nature of dental procedures, which result in a high number of aerosolized particles ejected from the dental equipment and oral cavity. Several recommendations were proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others to safeguard dental personnel. In this study, we quantitatively examined the efficacy of those safeguards and proposed testing additional ones. To investigate the effects of mitigation strategies on aerosol control in dental practices, we first had to accurately replicate the production of aerosols under common settings in a dental operatory, and then characterize and map particle concentration under altered standard of care practices. Numerous clinical setting scenarios, including those suggested by the CDC, were executed, and their effectiveness in reducing aerosols was assessed by characterizing the rates of aerosol production procedures. The results suggest that dry drilling generates a huge amount of particles and the use of an extraoral suction unit reduces aerosols significantly. Because the study focused on aerosolized and airborne particles, these results can be used in non-clinical situations involving the spread of airborne particles from a point source in confined spaces.
Omid Amili, Dr. (Committee Co-Chair)
George Choueiri, Dr. (Committee Chair)
116 p.
Biomedical Research; Dental Care; Dentistry; Mechanical Engineering; Particle Physics
COVID-19, Confined spaces, Dental area, Dental aerosols, Aerosol transmission, Infected dental aerosols, High-speed handpiece, Aerosol characterization, High-volume suction, Extraoral suction, Rubber dam, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, Environmental sensors, Particulate matter (PM) sensors

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sadoughipour, N. (2022). Characterization of Aerosols and Airborne Particles in a Dental Setting [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1659717943625753

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sadoughipour, Niloufar. Characterization of Aerosols and Airborne Particles in a Dental Setting. 2022. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1659717943625753.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sadoughipour, Niloufar. "Characterization of Aerosols and Airborne Particles in a Dental Setting." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1659717943625753

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1659717943625753
196
© 2022, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.