Spatiotemporal dynamics of exhaled aerosols in dental clinics: comparing heating systems and developing a novel pressure-driven dispersion model

Dental clinics face high cross-infection risks due to aerosol-generating procedures. This study employed computational fluid dynamics to analyze indoor airflow and aerosol distribution in a typical dental clinic, evaluating two heating systems (warm air supply vs. radiator) and three ventilation strategies. A new metric was introduced to assess heating methods' impact on initial aerosol dispersion. Results demonstrated that warm air supply heating enhanced aerosol removal rate by up to 33.4%, significantly lowering exposure risk for healthcare workers (HCWs). Conversely, radiator heating reduced aerosol removal rate to 10.9% and increased deposition rate to 70.6%, elevating surface-transmission risk. The highest aerosol deposition density on HCWs occurred with radiator heating and side vents (40.1 pc/m 2 ), while the lowest was with warm air supply (4.1 pc/m 2 ). These findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing heating and ventilation to improve infection control in dental settings. • Combined thermal comfort and infection risk assessment in clinic environments in winter • A novel pressure-based metric predicts initial aerosol dispersion in heating clinic environments • Warm air heating improves aerosol removal by 33.4 % vs. radiator heating in dental clinics • Radiator heating increases aerosol deposition to 70.6 %, raising surface transmission risk. • Deflection ventilation reduces direct airflow exposure to HCWs during procedures