Evaluation of Microbial Air Contamination in Dental Surgery Clinics

Background: In dental surgery clinic (DSC) environment the dentistry professionals and patients are daily exposed to a great variety of infectious agents which transported by aerosols and droplets or settle on environmental surfaces, produced during dental practice. Objective and Method: The aim of this study was to assess the air microbial contamination quality and quantity during manned and non-manned conditions in DSCs by using exposure and air sampling plate techniques, also investigating the antibiotic susceptibility to pathogenic microbial isolates by using the vitek 2 system. Results and Conclusion: The mean values of bacterial and fungal CFUs in the multi DSCs were 4.9 CFU/hr and 1 CFU/m3 during the manned conditions while in non-manned conditions was 0.4 CFU/hr and 0.28 CFU/m3 when used exposure and air sampling plates techniques respectively. The predominant bacterial isolates from DSCs were commensal and no risk found to healthcare staff and patients, which includes Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus lylae, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Bacillus sp and Pseudomonas stutzeri around 26–23, 20–22, 18–20, 9.5–12, 22–24 and 0–0.25% respectively, while the fungal isolates are Penicillium sp and Aspergillus sp were 0–0.25 and 0.25% respectively in the DSCs. Gentamicin, Levofloxacin, Tigecycline, Tobramycin and Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, were given sensitive antibiotics for M. luteus, M. lylae, S. haemolyticus, S. lugdunensis and P. stutzeri. While the Batrafen, Canasten, Flucoral and Mycosat antifungal agents were given a sensitive antifungal for Penicillium sp and Aspergillus sp. In the present research the microbial air count of the DSCs was significantly higher in manned than nonmanned conditions (p < 0.001). Although, the microbial counts in DSCs during the manned and non-manned conditions were presented with the limits according to the European Union standard for the air system.