Clinical Efficacy of an Extraoral Dental Evacuation Device in Aerosol Elimination During Endodontic Access Preparation

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused many concerns in the dental field regarding aerosol production and the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus during dental procedures. Because of the abrupt arrival of COVID-19, there has been little to no published research on the efficacy of dental suction devices in the removal of aerosols related to COVID-19 or the impact extraoral suction devices have on patients’ experiences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure the amount of aerosol produced during endodontic access preparation for root canal therapy with and without the use of an extraoral dental suction device and to gather information through a survey regarding patients’ experiences. METHODS: Aerosol measurements were recorded in 8 closed-door resident operatories each morning before the procedures, 1 minute during the procedure, and 15 minutes after the access was complete. The CICADA DTO KN99 Extraoral Dental Suction Device (Foshan Cicada, Guangdong, China) was placed in 4 operatories, whereas no DTO extraoral suction device was used in 4 control operatories. Twenty cases with DTO and 20 cases without it were completed, and the data were analyzed. RESULTS: Aerosols 1 minute after access were higher with and without DTO. There was a significant reduction after 15 minutes when the DTO device was used compared to high-volume suction alone. Composite and zirconia produced the most aerosols at 1 minute. CONCLUSION: The results show that the reduction of aerosols is enhanced when the extraoral suction device is used in combination with traditional high-volume evacuation. However, the increased noise level when using the device can have a negative impact on patients’ dental experience.