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The dental setting is regarded as a high-risk environment for aerosol concentrations and transmission of respiratory infectious agents, especially in relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though a number of approaches and practices have evolved to reduce the spread of pathogens in the dental setting, the risk of airborne infection remains a concern. Several new extraoral suction (EOS) devices have been marketed recently; further investigation is warranted to determine their clinical effectiveness. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a chairside EOS device (PAX 2000 Extraoral Dental Suction System, pH Dental, Inc.) in reducing aerosol contamination from subjects receiving initial or supportive periodontal therapy with ultrasonic scaling by a registered hygienist. Methods: Colony-forming units (CFUs) were measured using passive sampling methods (aerobic, anaerobic, and room temperature agar plates) before, during, and after treatment at three different locations in the dental operatory. Forty subjects were randomly allocated into two test groups, with or without the use of the EOS device during treatment. Retrieved colony-forming units CFUs after incubation were quantified and identified into bacterial/fungal taxa. Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U tests (alpha=0.05). Results: Use of the EOS device reduced the number of CFUs during treatment at all three locations but was only statistically significant (P=0.018) at the patients chest area, where the highest CFUs were present. The aerosols consisted of 74 different taxa of human origin. Conclusions: The EOS system may serve to reduce aerosol contamination in the clinical dental setting, especially in proximity to the patients head, where most aerosols were generated.