Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a byproduct of human metabolism and exists in high levels in exhaled air, and is therefore often used as a proxy for indoor air quality. The study "Ventilation Assessment by Carbon Dioxide Levels in Dental Treatment Rooms," published in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR), evaluated CO2 levels in dental operatories and determined the accuracy of using CO2 levels to assess ventilation rate in dental clinics.
Researchers at the University of Rochester, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, N.Y., USA, conducted CO2 concentration and ventilation rate assessments in 10 closed dental treatment rooms with varying air change rates by ventilation. Mechanical ventilation rate in air change per hour was measured with an air velocity sensor and air flow balancing hood.
The results showed that CO2 level in dental treatment rooms could be measured with a simple consumer-grade CO2 sensor, and that ventilation rate could be determined by either natural or experimental buildup of CO2 levels in dental settings. Assessing CO2 levels allows dental care professionals to conveniently and accurately calculate the ventilation rates in their offices and help them to devise effective strategies for ventilation improvement. They also demonstrated that ventilation rates in air change per hour could be accurately assessed by observing CO2 levels after a simple mixing of household baking soda and vinegar.
"Accurate measurements of ventilation rate in dental settings are important for risk assessment and for risk mitigation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," said JDR Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jakubovics, Newcastle University, England. "This study demonstrates the precision of a practical tool that will enable dental care professionals to conveniently and accurately monitor CO2 levels and assess the ventilation rates in order to devise a pragmatic and effective strategy for ventilation improvement in their work environment."
About the Journal of Dental Research
The IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the dissemination of new knowledge in all sciences relevant to dentistry and the oral cavity and associated structures in health and disease. The JDR ranks #3 in Impact Factor of 91 journals, #2 without self-citations, as well as #2 of 91 in Article Influence with a score of 1.627. The JDR's 5-year Impact Factor remained above 5 for the fifth year at 5.844 -- ranking #2 of 91 journals. With over 20,000 citations, the JDR also boasts the most citations in the "Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine" category, over 3,500 citations above the 2nd ranked journal in the field.
International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 10,000 individual members worldwide, with a mission to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. To learn more, visit https://www.iadr.org. The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is the largest Division of IADR with 3,100 members in the United States. To learn more, visit https://www.iadr.org/aadr.
