Thoroughly understanding infection control and how these breaches happen can help to avoid them in dental clinics. Unfortunately, common issues like improper hand hygiene and contaminated dental unit water lines can be the origin of an infection control breach. Whatever the source of the breach,...
Proper sanitation and infection control practices are essential in dental practices to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis, and more. Many federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), have guidelines...
Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Dentistry (even when there's a vaccine) A FREE online course for Dental Assistants, Hygienists, Staff The speaker, Luci Perri, will provide dental healthcare workers with information to implement recommended strategies aimed at preventing transmission of COVID-19 in dental healthcare settings. Participation in the interactive...
Dental Assistants and dental hygienists are responsible for all aspects of patient care device reprocessing. This might include handling, rinsing, cleaning, drying, packaging, cooling, storing, and transporting potentially hazardous sharps and other healthcare devices. Cleaning dental instruments is an incredibly important step to patient care. ...
Dental facilities are a place where patients should feel safe while they receive essential healthcare. Although heat-resistant plastic instruments are quickly moving to the forefront of the dental industry, there are still some situations where alternative reprocessing methods are required. Cleaning patient care equipment and...
Over the last several months, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has ravaged countries worldwide. Businesses and service providers across various industries have adjusted their safety practices to protect customers and employees, and dental offices are no exception. As more and more non-essential businesses open their doors, workers...
The transport of dental instruments before or after use has proven to be a long-standing problem for dental clinics, colleges of dental medicine, and other various dental specialty practices. Transporting clean instruments should be performed in a manner that protects instruments and devices from contamination...
Unfortunately, dental practices and colleges of Dental Medicine are not immune to lapses in dental instrument processing. One of the most recent incidents occurred at a Florida College of Dental Medicine. More than 1,100 patients were notified of the potential for acquiring a bloodborne pathogen...
Dental Unit Waterlines consist of any line or tubing connected to the dental unit or chair that water runs through to instruments or items that enter the patient’s mouth. This includes high- and low-speed handpieces, prophylaxis angles, air abrasion devices, air/water syringes, and ultrasonic scalers....