ArticlePloS one2017
A scoping review on bio-aerosols in healthcare and the dental environment.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 122 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
122 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Bacterial biofilm prevalence in dental unit waterlines: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC oral health · 2023Pooled it
- Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental healthcare providers.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- How to use laser safely in times of COVID-19: Systematic review.Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry · 2021Pooled it
- A systematic review of droplet and aerosol generation in dentistry.Journal of dentistry · 2021Pooled it
- Aerosol-generating behaviours in speech pathology clinical practice: A systematic literature review.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Pre-procedural Mouth Rinses in Reducing Aerosol Contamination During Periodontal Prophylaxis: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Interventions to reduce contaminated aerosols produced during dental procedures for preventing infectious diseases.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Optimizing hydrogen peroxide shock treatment frequencies for dental unit waterlines contamination control: a pilot study.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Hantavirus in Dentistry: Occupational Exposure Considerations and a Proposed Tiered Infection Prevention and Control Framework-A Narrative Review.Clinical and experimental dental research · 2026Review
- Article
- A narrative discussion on the impact of respiratory infectious diseases on dental education in China: implications for curriculum design and student outcomes.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Aerosols Contamination in the Dental Practice Following Everyday Procedures: An Observational Study.International journal of dental hygiene · 2025Observational
- Review
- Nonmalignant respiratory disease mortality among dentists in the United States from 1979 through 2018.Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) · 2025Article
- Article
- Aerosol-generating procedures and associated control/mitigation measures: Position paper from the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association and the American Dental Hygienists' Association.Canadian journal of dental hygiene : CJDH = Journal canadien de l'hygiene dentaire : JCHD · 2024Review
- Reducing microbial airborne contamination and particulate matter using different oral suctions in dental clinic: A randomized controlled clinical trial.The Saudi dental journal · 2024Article
- A review of pathogenic airborne fungi and bacteria: unveiling occurrence, sources, and profound human health implication.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Review
- A Systematized Overview of Published Reviews on Biological Hazards, Occupational Health, and Safety.Safety and health at work · 2023Review
62 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBio-aerosols originate from different sources and their potentially pathogenic nature may form a hazard to healthcare workers and patients. So far no extensive review on existing evidence regarding bio-aerosols is available.
objectivesThis study aimed to review evidence on bio-aerosols in healthcare and the dental setting. The objectives were 1) What are the sources that generate bio-aerosols?; 2) What is the microbial load and composition of bio-aerosols and how were they measured?; and 3) What is the hazard posed by pathogenic micro-organisms transported via the aerosol route of transmission?
methodsSystematic scoping review design. Searched in PubMed and EMBASE from inception to 09-03-2016. References were screened and selected based on abstract and full text according to eligibility criteria. Full text articles were assessed for inclusion and summarized. The results are presented in three separate objectives and summarized for an overview of evidence.
resultsThe search yielded 5,823 studies, of which 62 were included. Dental hand pieces were found to generate aerosols in the dental settings. Another 30 sources from human activities, interventions and daily cleaning performances in the hospital also generate aerosols. Fifty-five bacterial species, 45 fungi genera and ten viruses were identified in a hospital setting and 16 bacterial and 23 fungal species in the dental environment. Patients with certain risk factors had a higher chance to acquire Legionella in hospitals. Such infections can lead to irreversible septic shock and death. Only a few studies found that bio-aerosol generating procedures resulted in transmission of infectious diseases or allergic reactions.
conclusionBio-aerosols are generated via multiple sources such as different interventions, instruments and human activity. Bio-aerosols compositions reported are heterogeneous in their microbiological composition dependent on the setting and methodology. Legionella species were found to be a bio-aerosol dependent hazard to elderly and patients with respiratory complaints. But all aerosols can be can be hazardous to both patients and healthcare workers.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.