Comparison of Dissemination of Aerosol and Splatter during Ultrasonic Scaling using Different Masks: A Pilot Study with Relevance to Respiratory Infection Transmission

Background: Dentists are routinely exposed to a high amount of micro-organism load due to primarily being responsible for the treatment of the structures if the mouth – which is a well-known source of huge bacterial loads. Also, as COVID-19 recently affected the entire world, masks thus were considered to act as a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission. However, the relevance of aerosol and respiratory infection control extends beyond COVID-19, as respiratory pathogens including seasonal influenza viruses such as influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, commonly referred to as swine flu, influenza A(H3N2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory viruses continue to circulate and may be transmitted through respiratory particles. Aim: To compare the dissemination of aerosol and splatter during ultrasonic scaling using different masks. Method: In this study we evaluated the dissemination of four masks that is N-95 with respirator, N-95 without respirator, a combination of cloth mask and N-95 without respirator, and normal surgical mask by calculating the surface are of filter paper with the help of a previously marked scale which was divided into one-centimeter squares. Results: Best protection was seen to be offered by the combined use of the double masking – N-95 without filter plus cloth mask, followed by N-95 mask alone and then the surgical mask.