Table 2 Specific search strategy for each Database

Pubmed

#1 “dental care“[MeSH Terms] OR “dental care“[Title/Abstract] OR “delivery of dental care“[Title/Abstract] OR “dental treatment“[Title/Abstract] OR “ultrasonic therapy“[MeSH Terms] OR “ultrasonic therapy“[Title/Abstract] OR “ultrasonic scale*“[Title/Abstract] OR “ultrasonic instrumentation“[Title/Abstract] OR “ultrasonic dental scale*“[Title/Abstract] OR “ultrasonic scaling“[Title/Abstract] OR “dental prophylaxis“[MeSH Terms] OR “dental prophylaxis“[Title/Abstract] OR “dental cleaning“[Title/Abstract] OR “dental scaling“[MeSH Terms] OR “dental scaling“[Title/Abstract] OR “subgingival scaling“[Title/Abstract] OR “supragingival scaling“[Title/Abstract]

#2 “aerosols“[MeSH Terms] OR “aerosols“[Title/Abstract] OR “splatter“[Title/Abstract] OR “aerosol contamination“[Title/Abstract] OR “bioaerosol“[Title/Abstract] OR “bio-aerosol“[Title/Abstract] OR “airborne“[Title/Abstract] OR “dental aerosols“[Title/Abstract]

#1 AND #2

Web of Science

#1 “dental care” OR “Delivery of dental care” OR “dental treatment” OR “ultrasonic therapy” OR “ultrasonic scale*” OR “ultrasonic instrumentation” OR “ultrasonic dental scale*” OR “ultrasonic scaling” OR “dental prophylaxis” OR “dental cleaning” OR “dental scaling” OR “subgingival scaling” OR “supragingival scaling”

#2 aerosols OR splatter OR “aerosol contamination” OR bioaerosol OR bio-aerosol OR airborne OR “dental aerosols”

#1 AND #2

Scopus

#1 TITLE-ABS-KEY ( ( “dental care”  OR  “Delivery of dental care"  OR  “dental treatment"  OR  “ultrasonic therapy"  OR  “ultrasonic scale*"  OR  “ultrasonic instrumentation"  OR  “ultrasonic dental scale*"  OR  “ultrasonic scaling"  OR  “dental prophylaxis"  OR  “dental cleaning"  OR  “dental scaling"  OR  “subgingival scaling"  OR  “supragingival scaling" ) )

#2 TITLE-ABS-KEY ( ( aerosols OR splatter OR  “aerosol contamination"  OR bioaerosol OR bio-aerosol OR airborne OR  “dental aerosols" ) )

#1 AND #2

BVS

#1 mh:“dental care” OR “dental care” OR “Delivery of dental care” OR “dental treatment” OR mh: “ultrasonic therapy” OR “ultrasonic therapy” OR “ultrasonic scale*” OR “ultrasonic instrumentation” OR “Ultrasonic dental scale*” OR “ultrasonic scaling” OR mh:“dental prophylaxis” OR “dental prophylaxis” OR “dental cleaning” OR mh:“dental scaling” OR “dental scaling” OR “subgingival scaling” OR “supragingival scaling”

#2 mh:aerosols OR aerosols OR splatter OR “aerosol contamination” OR bioaerosol OR bio-aerosol OR airborne OR “dental aerosols”

#1 AND #2

Embase

#1 dental procedure’/exp/mj OR ‘dental procedure’:ab,ti OR ‘delivery of dental care’:ab,ti OR ‘ultrasound therapy’/exp/mj OR ‘ultrasound therapy’:ab,ti OR ‘ultrasonic scaler’/exp/mj OR ‘ultrasonic scaler’:ab,ti OR ‘ultrasonic instrumentation’:ab,ti OR ‘ultrasonic dental scale*’:ab,ti OR ‘dental prophylaxis’/exp/mj OR ‘dental prophylaxis’:ab,ti OR ‘dental scaling’/exp/mj OR ‘dental scaling’:ab,ti OR ‘subgingival scaling’:ab,ti OR ‘supragingival scaling’:ab,ti

#2 ‘aerosol’/exp/mj OR aerosol:ab,ti OR splatter:ab,ti OR ‘aerosol contamination’:ab,ti OR ‘bioaerosol’/exp/mj OR bioaerosol:ab,ti OR ‘bio aerosol’:ab,ti OR ‘airborne particle’:ab,ti

#1 AND #2

Cochrane

#1 MeSH descriptor: [Dental Care] explode all trees OR delivery of dental care OR dental treatment OR MeSH descriptor: [Ultrasonic Therapy] explode all trees OR ultrasonic scale* OR ultrasonic instrumentation OR ultrasonic dental scale* OR ultrasonic scaling OR MeSH descriptor: [Dental Prophylaxis] explode all trees OR dental cleaning OR MeSH descriptor: [Dental Scaling] explode all trees OR subgingival scaling OR supragingival scaling

#2 MeSH descriptor: [Aerosols] explode all trees OR splatter OR aerosol contamination OR bioaerosol OR bio-aerosol OR airborne OR dental aerosols

#1 AND #2