What’s new for the clinician– summaries of recently published papers

Abstract

Particles, particularly aerosols, and splatter generated during routine dental procedures have been shown to have the potential to transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus to patients. Thus, controlling the spread of aerosolized particles has become one of the core strategies for reducing occupationally acquired infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus1 . The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
splatter as particles greater than 100 μm in size, droplets as particles between 5 and 100 μm in size, and aerosols as particles smaller than 5 μm. 1 Dental procedures generate particles that are a mixture of saliva, blood, water coolant, plaque, gingival crevicular fluid,
tooth hard tissue debris, calculus, and dental restorative materials that generate potential hazards to dental professionals.1 The extent and spread pattern of common
dental AGPs need to be identified before applying mitigating
strategies.