Infection control is a vital part of any dental practice. There are things you can do to protect your staff and patients to prevent the spread of disease and keep the environment clean and sterile.
- Proper Handwashing Methods
Always wash hands between patient treatments after removing gloves. Also wash after touching contaminated objects. Plain soap is usually adequate for routine dental procedures, but antimicrobial surgical hand scrub should be used for surgical procedures.
- Care of Dental Instruments & Needles
All sharp items, including needles and scalpel blades, are potentially infective and should be handled with care. Place disposable blades and syringes in puncture-resistant containers.
- High-Level Sterilization & Disinfection
Surgical instruments or anything used to penetrate soft tissue or bone should be sterilized after every use. That includes any tools that come in contact with oral tissues (even if they do not penetrate).
- Safe Bio Waste Disposal
Blood and suctioned fluids should be poured into a sanitary sewer system connected to a drain. Contaminated solid waste must be sealed in an impervious bag. All bio waste should be disposed of according to local or state environmental regulatory guidelines.
- Surface Decontamination
After work is complete, all surfaces should be wiped with an absorbent towel then disinfected with chemical germicide.
- Protective Barriers & Attire
Staff should always wear gloves when working on patients. Never use the same pair of gloves on multiple patients. Reusable or disposable lab coats, gowns, or uniforms should also be worn.
- Prep Radiograph Area
Use disposable in-mouth items or those that are sterilized with heat. Apply covers to chair, headrest, control panels, exposure buttons, yokes, X-ray tube heads, and control adjustments. Use film barriers to eliminate the need to disinfect in the darkroom.
Better patient care starts with knowledge. LEARN MORE and SIGN UP for our in-depth two-day dental X-ray certification course in Southeast Michigan.
Strategic Practice Solution’s dental x-ray certification course, in cooperation with the Macomb Dental Education Center, has been designed to be substantially equivalent to the Michigan Board of Dentistry requirement for dental assistant training. Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of the entire program.
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