Characterization of Aerosols and Fine Particles Produced in Dentistry and Their Health Risk Assessments

Abstract

Human lung receives many inhaled particles in daily life. In dentistry, rotary cutting instruments (e.g. diamond points and carbide burs) driven by water-cooled high-speed air-turbine and micro-motor headpieces produced aerosols, splatter and cut debris, all of which have the potentials to be breathed by dental professions and patients. The small aerosols and particles less than 0.5µm might enter deep inside the terminal bronchioles and alveoli of the lungs, at which the macrophage plays a scavenging role. If the particles are difficult to digest (e.g. crystalline silica), oxidative stress is imposed, causing the diseases of the lung and near-by organs (e.g. silicosis and mesothelioma). Microorganisms-contaminated aerosols cause the infectious diseases such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, influenza viruses, hepatitis C virus and HIV. To prevent lung damage and infectious disease caused by aerosols and fine particles in dentistry, several countermeasures are recommended such as personal protection barriers as masks, gloves and safety eye glasses; the use of high volume evacuators; and the use of the air-room-cleaning system with high-efficiency particulate filters.