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Vol. 13 No. 1-4 (2022)
DOI: 10.59987/ads/2022.1-4.9-14
Articles
2023-03-06

COVID19-Personal Protective Equipment ergonomic improvements: necessary considerations for the dental team health

Authors

G. Fantozzi, M. D’Agostino, S. Bernardi, S. Bianchi, E. Lupi, F. Rinaldi, R. Gatto, G. Botticelli

Keywords: COVID-19, prevention & control, dentistry, dental hygiene, occupational exposure

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus impacted worldwide without any precedents, including the dental world, from the education to the advanced cares. The co-existence with the virus circulation imposed the use of personal protection equipment such as respiratory protective equipment. The aim of this paper is to report the modifications made to a Power Air Power Respirator to improve the quality of work during dental hygiene procedures. The device is composed of a hood and a power-air unit. The power-air unit is equipped with a strap to secure the filters and battery at the waist. The hood and the power-air unit presented visibility, weight, and use issues during dental hygiene procedures. The modifications to the hood made the shield more resistant and allowed the place for magnifying loupes. In addition, placing the battery-unit in a backpack, the weight was better distributed. Further innovations in PPE, barrier devices to minimize aerosol contamination, air purification systems, antiviral adjuvants, chairside screening for COVID-19, changes in clinical techniques could be envisaged to minimize the spread of COVID-19, possibly adapted, and adopted in future pandemics.

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Authors

G. Fantozzi - Private Dental Hygienist, 65100, Pescara, Italy.

M. D’Agostino - Private Architect, 65100, Pescara, Italy.

S. Bernardi - Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

S. Bianchi - Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

E. Lupi - Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100, L’Aquila, Italy.

F. Rinaldi - Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University of Chieti—Pescara ‘Gabriele d’Annunzio’, 66100 Chieti, Italy

R. Gatto - Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

G. Botticelli - Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

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Copyright (c) 2023 G. Fantozzi, M. D’Agostino, S. Bernardi, S. Bianchi, E. Lupi, F. Rinaldi, R. Gatto, G. Botticelli

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors contributing to Annali di Stomatologia agree to publish their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which allows third parties to copy and redistribute the material providing appropriate credit and a link to the license but does not allow to use the material for commercial purposes and to use the material if it has been remixed, transformed or built upon.

How to Cite
Fantozzi, G., D’Agostino, M., Bernardi, S., Bianchi, S., Lupi, E., Rinaldi, F., Gatto, R., & Botticelli, G. (2023). COVID19-Personal Protective Equipment ergonomic improvements: necessary considerations for the dental team health. Annali Di Stomatologia, 13(1-4), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.59987/ads/2022.1-4.9-14