Human Mouth is Highly Contaminated environment. The mouth contains bacteria and viruses from many sources. The saliva of a healthy patient contains large numbers of streptococci, staphylococci, and gram negative bacteria. While many of these organisms are relatively innocuous for a healthy person, they carry the possibility of infection for the increasing number of people with compromised immune systems.
The use of hand scalers, prophy angles, and air-water syringes produce some splatter in the form of relatively large droplets. While large droplets contain potentially pathogenic organisms, they are usually controlled by standard barrier techniques such as gloves, masks, and eye protection. However, the ultrasonic scaler and the air polisher are the greatest producers of small particle aerosol contamination in dentistry. Several studies show that the ultrasonic scaler produces more airborne contamination than any other instrument in dentistry. The air polisher creates an almost equal amount of airborne contamination. The use of these instruments places hygienists at the forefront of risk for the airborne transmission of infections.
