Other
Nihad Sehic, DDS
Resident
Temple University Hospital - Northeastern Campus
Temple University Hospital - Northeastern Campus
philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Paul A. Bahn, III, DMD
Program Director
Temple Univ. Hosptial - Northeastern Campus
Temple University Hospital - Northeastern Campus Pediatric Dental Residency Program
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Purpose: To more precisely determine the change in surface contamination with distance and direction from the oral cavity.
Methods: Children, 6-18 years old, undergoing a 12 minute dental restorative procedure were included. Samples were collected from 15 subjects (Frankl 3 or 4). Filter papers were placed at 5 pre-measured distances and locations from the oral cavity: on the patient bib at 6, 12, and 18 inches from the oral cavity; on the overhead light at 24 inches; and on the operatory wall at 52 inches . The papers were collected after 12 minutes, tested for contamination using a luminometer, and compared to 3 controls (clean filter paper).
Results: Moving down the bib, contamination decreased from 184 to 66 to 22 RLU, all statistically different from each other (P < .05). The location farthest from the mouth was not different from the control. Contamination on the overhead light was significantly greater than control (64 RLU, P < .05), but was statistically identical to the middle location on the bib, at half the distance from the mouth. Surface contamination on the operatory wall was not different from the control. Finally, there was no difference in contamination after a 12 as compared to a 7 minute procedure (previous data).
Conclusion: Surface contamination decreases rapidly with increasing horizontal distance from the mouth. More contamination is directed vertically than horizontally.