Linking oral microbiota to clinic air during ultrasonic scaling: Quantitative sequencing and CFD modeling reveal pathogenic aerosol emissions, infection risk, and control strategies.

Ultrasonic scaling emits pathogenic bacterial aerosols with an emission strength of approximately 3.06×10^3 copies/min, mainly in the 2.1–4.7 μm size range, reducing infection risk.

• Why it matters: Dental procedures generate microbial aerosols that pose an airborne infection risk, but this risk has not been quantitatively characterized or linked to specific microbiota or aerosol dynamics.
• What they did: The study combined multi-site sampling, metagenomics, quantitative sequencing, and CFD modeling at various ventilation velocities (ACH 2.4–9.4 h^-1) to analyze aerosol emissions, microbiota, and infection risk during ultrasonic scaling.
• The result: Increasing ventilation from ACH 2.4 to 9.4 h^-1 decreased pathogen suspension by 26.4%, surface deposition by 12.7%, and reduced inhalation infection risk at the dentist's position by 80.8%, supporting dynamic ventilation strategies.