The Importance of Atmospheric Microbial Contamination Control in Dental Offices: Raised Awareness Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Featured Application Our research provides valuable information for dentists and other medical professionals in their fight against the new Coronavirus by offering solutions to protect themselves and their patients during their work in medical offices. Background: In the context of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic that started in 2020, more attention is being paid to the air quality in medical offices. The medical, economic and social implications of this crisis are unprecedented. Dental offices, particularly, were significantly affected by this pandemic due to the high exposure of dental workers, limited availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and serious financial problems. Methods: Four different procedures were compared regarding their effectiveness in air contamination reduction, both from a biological point of view and from a management point of view: Fogging, Ultraviolet C (UVC) lamps, UVC air circulation units and natural ventilation. A total of 56 Petri dishes were used to evaluate air contamination. Results: All four procedures offered good results but the decontamination time and overall effect varied depending on the chosen method. Fogging was the only method that managed to remove all the identifiable pathogens. Conclusions: Fogging proved to be superior from a medical point of view, while the UVC air circulation unit proved to be more efficient from a management point of view.

Automated summary

Our research compared four different procedures for air contamination reduction in medical offices in the context of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. Results showed that all procedures were effective, but the decontamination time and overall effect varied depending on the method chosen. Fogging was the most effective method from a medical perspective, while the UVC air circulation unit was found to be more efficient from a management perspective.