ReviewJournal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons2020
Masks or N95 Respirators During COVID-19 Pandemic-Which One Should I Wear?
Review in Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of wearing different face masks on cardiopulmonary performance at rest and exercise in a partially double-blinded randomized cross-over study.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- The Effects of N95 Masks on Sinonasal Symptoms and Opinions of Healthcare Workers in Singapore.Cureus · 2025Article
- Does the use of protective face masks affect temporomandibular joint function?Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- Article
- Article
- Examination of factors that impact mask or respirator purchase and usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.PloS one · 2024Article
- Pre-dental treatment screening in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a questionnaire survey of dental practitioners.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Review
- Worldwide fight against COVID-19 using nanotechnology, polymer science, and 3D printing technology.Polymer bulletin (Berlin, Germany) · 2023Review
- Staff and physician protection in neurointervention during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic: A summary review and recommendations.Interventional neuroradiology : journal of peritherapeutic neuroradiology, surgical procedures and related neurosciences · 2021Review
- Pyrolysis kinetic behaviour and TG-FTIR-GC-MS analysis of Coronavirus Face Masks.Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis · 2021Article
- Scenarios to Manage the Demand for N95 Respirators for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2020Article
- Article
- Historical Evolution and Filtering Characteristics of Masks and Respirators in Dentistry in the Context of COVID-19: A Literature Review.Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community DentistryReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused suffering and death around the world. Careful selection of facial protection is paramount for preventing virus spread among healthcare workers and preserving mask and N95 respirator supplies.
methodsThis paper is a comprehensive review of literature written in English and available on Pubmed comparing the risk of viral respiratory infections when wearing masks and N95 respirators. Current international oral and maxillofacial surgery guidelines for mask and N95 respirator use, patient COVID-19 disease status, aerosol producing procedures were also collected and incorporated into a workflow for selecting appropriate facial protection for oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures during the current pandemic.
resultsMost studies suggest N95 respirators and masks are equally protective against respiratory viruses. Some evidence favors N95 respirators, which are preferred for high-risk procedures when aerosol production is likely or when the COVID-19 status of a patient is positive or unknown. N95 respirators may also be used for multiple patients or reused depending on the type of procedure and condition of the respirator after each patient encounter.
conclusionN95 respirators are preferred over masks against viral respiratory pathogens, especially during aerosol-generating procedures or when a patient's COVID-19 status is positive or unknown.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.