Int J Infect Control 2010, v6:i1 doi: 10.3396/ijic.V6i1.003.10 Page 1 of 7 not for citation purposes Aerosol contamination in a rural university dental clinic Acharya Shashidhar Acharya, Harsh Priya, Bharathi Purohit, Meghashyam Bhat International Journal of Infection Control Aerosol contamination in a rural university dental clinic in south India ISSN 1996-9783 www.ijic.info doi: 10.3396/ijic.V6i1.003.10 Corresponding author Dr. Shashidhar Acharya, Associate Professor, Department of Community Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal. 576104, Karnataka, INDIA. Email: shashidhar_acharya@yahoo.com, Phone: 91 94481 27031 orIgINAl ArtIClE Abstract Aerosol and splatter are a concern in dentistry because of possible transmission of infectious agents and their potential effects on the health of patients and dental personnel. the aim of this study was to assess and compare amount of aerosol contamination produced by ultrasonic scaler and high speed air turbine hand piece in immediate vicinity of patient’s mouth during dental procedures and to determine level and type of microbial contamination present on white coats of dental personnel in a rural dental setting. the study was conducted in two parts, with assessment and comparison of amount of aerosol contamination produced by ultrasonic scaler and high speed air turbine hand piece in frst part and examination of ffty one white coat’s contamination of dental personnel in second part. Higher colony count was seen during oral prophylaxis which was signifcantly than during cavity preparation; and the count was highest from patient’s chest area. Dental procedures like scaling and cavity preparation cause considerable aerosol contamination in the immediate vicinity of the patient’s mouth and of dentists’ barrier clothing. Key Words Infection control, Aerosol contamination, White coat, rural. Introduction the spread of infection through aerosol and splatter has long been considered one of the main concerns in the dental community because of possible transmission of infectious agents and their potential effects on the health of patients and dental personnel. Even before the discovery of specifc infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses, the potential infection by the airborne route was recognized. 1 the terms “aerosol” and “splatter” in the dental environment were used by Micik r E et al in his pioneering work on aerobiology. 2 Aerosols were defned as particles less than 50 micrometers in diameter. Particles of this size are small enough to stay airborne for an extended period before they settle on environmental surfaces or enter the respiratory tract. the smaller particles of an aerosol (0.5 to 10 μm in diameter) have the potential to penetrate and lodge in