Written by Dr. Avani Gandhi during the early COVID-19 pandemic, this post explains what aerosols are and how they relate to dental office safety.
It defines an aerosol as a suspension of solid particles or liquid droplets in air, giving natural examples like mist, fog, clouds, wind-blown dust, sea salt, volcanic ash, and wildfire smoke, alongside human-made ones like air pollution, aerosol spray products, and even the fog from breath on a cold window.
It notes aerosols aren't inherently harmful -- they scatter light to create sunset colors and help seed clouds and rain, which in turn helps cleanse the atmosphere.
Particle size matters: larger droplets from a sneeze fall to the ground within about 3 to 6 feet, which the post ties to the CDC's six-foot social-distancing guidance, while smaller droplets can stay airborne and travel roughly 20 to 26 feet within seconds to minutes.
It notes the body has natural defenses against aerosols (like nasal hair and eyelashes), but these aren't enough against very small particles like the viruses behind COVID-19 or the flu, which is why hand hygiene matters so much.
The post describes changes made at the office to reduce aerosol exposure: staff wearing masks, goggles or face shields, and surgical caps; continued strict infection-control protocols and surface sanitizing between patients; removing toys from the waiting room; and limiting the number of family members accompanying each patient. It closes with a note that the team is still smiling under their masks and has missed seeing patients.