IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 10920: Air Quality in a Dental Clinic during Er:YAG Laser Usage for Cavity Preparation on Human Teeth —An Ex-Vivo Study

The objective of this study was the evaluation of indoor air quality during the application of an Er:YAG laser, as a dentin removal instrument, in a Dental Clinic. Particulate Matter (PM) was measured using the standard method of EN legislation. In order to measure total Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs), a portable monitor was used. In the first experiment, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were increased by approximately 10 and 15 times, respectively. From the second experiment it can be concluded that neither of the measured particle concentrations exceeded the recommended indoor limit values while windows were open, although laser influence was still detectable. Within the limitations applied herein, it was found that Er:YAG laser activity for hard dental tissue removal was associated with high PM and TVOCs concentration values in the working environment, under insufficient or no ventilation. Physical ventilation in the aforementioned setting proved to be an important key factor in improving air quality, as both PM and TVOCs concentrations decreased significantly.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - October 17, 2021 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Angeliki Karveli Ioannis G. Tzoutzas Panagiotis Ioannis Raptis Emmanouil-George C. Tzanakakis Eleftherios Terry R. Farmakis Constantinos G. Helmis Tags: Article Source Type: research