(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
AS COVID Alert Levels are going down in most areas in the country, we expect more people to go out and, among them, seek dental checkups.
We know in our lockdown days that a well-ventilated area is crucial to clear the air, so to speak, of airborne viruses that may be lurking out there.
And so it is in a dental setting. Proper and ample ventilation is important to prevent COVID infection among patients, dentists and dental caregivers.
Improved ventilation and air filtration are important steps in a multi-layered approach for safe delivery of dental care during an infectious respiratory disease pandemic.
Pre-appointment screening for signs and symptoms, proper physical distancing, pre-procedural mouth rinses, proper use of personal protective equipment including N95 masks and protective goggles or face-shields, and thorough disinfection and cleaning, are all important layers against the potential spread of COVID-19 in dental settings.
The Eastman Institute for Oral Health or EIOH has developed a tool that improves air quality in a dental clinic.
Its research, published in the Journal of Dentistry, shows that if a room’s ventilation rate is low, respiratory aerosol particles can remain in the indoor air for a long time, making it critical to facilitate respiratory aerosol removal with aerosol spray.
The study, the basis for developing the ventilation calculator, was published in the Journal of Dental Research.
Dentists perform procedures that often produce spatters, droplets and aerosols. To assist them in the prevention of infections, EIOH developed strategies to minimize potential exposures of airborne viruses such as COVID to patients and health providers.
A part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the EIOH has developed a calculator along with a simple process and other tools to help dentists easily determine the ventilation rate, measured in air changes per hour, for any room.
“Knowing what the ventilation rate is for individual dental treatment rooms will help providers understand what steps they can take, if necessary, to improve ventilation,” said Dr. Yanfang Ren, a dentist and EIOH professor whose research about dental treatment provision, aerosol behavior and ventilation, has been widely cited throughout the pandemic.
“We found that carbon dioxide levels in dental treatment rooms are directly associated with ventilation rate and the number of people in the room,” Dr. Ren said.
Using a carbon dioxide monitor, household baking soda and vinegar, dentists can follow the process that includes a calculator suitable for imperial or metric measurements to determine a room’s current air change rate.
Many factors play a role in the ventilation rate for any given room, including the size and design of the rooms, and structure and age of the building, said Dr. Ren. “Improving a room’s ventilation could be as easy as adding a portable air cleaner.”
When adding a portable air cleaner, it’s important to know its Clean Air Delivery Rate, to ensure it helps reach the desired air change rate.
“The higher the Clean Air Delivery Rate, the faster the portable air cleaner cleans the air,” Dr. Ren explained. “When selecting a portable air cleaner for dental treatment rooms, use the rating for tobacco smoke, which represents the sizes of small dental aerosols that are the most difficult to clean.”
The tools and a video demonstration, as well as an email address to send questions to, are available on the EIOH Covid Safety & Resources webpage.
The webpage also provides guidance and custom tools to help users understand the Clean Air Delivery Rate and how to calculate the Air Change Rate for their portable air cleaner.
Founded in 1917, EIOH at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a world leader in research, post-doctoral education and clinical care. It is consistently ranked in the top 10 of funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; and Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
