Abstract
The aim of this sutudy was to identify dental hospital environmental problems. Temperature, humidity, air flow, and number of persons were measured for a year in the orthodontics clinic and the oral surgery clinic at Asahi University dental hospital. Airborne bacteria were detected with an SY type pinhole sampler (SY method) and Koch's dropping method (Koch method).
The following conclusions were obtained,
1. The room temperature was 13.3-27.4°C, humidity was 23.3-64.7%, and the air flow was 0.03-0.50m/sec.
2. The number of persons in the clinic varied from 2 to 40 people.
3. The bacterial count was from 0.01 to 0.68 colonies per liter with the SY method and 0.07 to 2.60 with the Koch method.
4. The correlation between the number of airborne bacteria detected with the SY method and those detected with the Koch method had the high coefficient of 0.544. We believe that Koch's dropping method can be used to monitor airborne bacteria pollution in dental hospitals.
5. A high statistical correlation was obtained between the number of colonies and the number of people in the clinic, with a coefficient of 0.371 in the SY method and a coefficient of 0.281 in the Koch method.
6. A high statistical correlation was obtained between the number of colonies and the number of times the air-conditioning was turned on in the clinic, with a coefficient of -0.480 in the SY method and a coefficient of -0.274 in the Koch method.
7. Statistical by significant difference was recognized between months when air-conditioning was used and months when it wes not in the number of airborne colonies, and this indicated efficient air-cleaning action by the air-conditioner.
