What are Exam Masks?
Exam masks are a form of facial protection worn by health care providers to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses. The mask covers the mouth and nose, ensuring that aerosolized droplets from a health care provider do not land on a patient, potentially spreading infection. Patients may also wear masks on occasion, and more generally, exam masks are sometimes worn by ordinary civilians in heavily polluted areas or during periodic cold and flu seasons. Medical suppliers and many drugstores stock exam masks. Health care providers wear exam masks for the protection of their patients. As a provider breathes, he or she sheds numerous tiny droplets of water which can be laden with a variety of organisms which could cause disease. In a patient who is immunocompromised, these organisms could cause a serious illness, and in ordinary patients, the transmission of such organisms could still lead to the spread of disease. Dentists tend to wear exam masks while examining and treating patients bo
