Recent media coverage makes it appropriate to revisit a topic that is relevant for even the smallest dental practice: Sexual harassment, and how to combat it.

There is sometimes confusion over Exposure Control versus Infection Control, as there is a lot of cross-over between the two. EXPOSURE CONTROL has to do with the policies and procedures that protect employees from exposure to blood borne pathogens and other potentially infectious material. Infection Control has more to do with keeping the patient safe from infection.

​OSAP, The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, is one of the best sources of good information (along with the CDC) for infection control techniques in Dental practices. Our Compliance Advisers receive numerous questions regarding both Exposure Control and Infection Control on a daily basis, as they are in the field, visiting dental practices. Periodically, we’ll review several of the more notable. Here are a few that have been bubbling to the top of late:

You might be surprised at the lengths some dental practice owners take to cut their expenses. A dental hygienist recently posed this question in a forum, “My dentist told me today that in order to cut down on electricity usage from the autoclave and to save money on sterilization bags, he wants me to put my instruments in the cold sterile only. ​What should I do?”

Another posted, “My boss asked me to reuse one-time sterilization pouches.” Still another reported “I temped today in a practice where I was told that to save money, we are only to change the barriers once per day. Is this legal?”

It began when a Massachusetts dentist changed his practice's procedure for disposing of contaminated needles. He told those in his Beverly-based office to first remove the protective caps before dropping them into sharps disposal containers, allegedly to fill the containers with more used needles and reduce the frequency and cost of their disposal.

Concerned that she and her co-workers could be exposed to needle stick injuries and the risk of infection from bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis and HIV, a dental assistant raised the issue with the dentist...

​September is Dental Infection Control Awareness Month -  Back in March, The CDC released the new Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. This is a must-read for every practice owner and clinician in the dental industry. Many of you might take issue with that last sentence. “Everyone knows about infection control,” you think. And yet new issues and new standards are coming to the fore every year.

To wit: Dental Unit Waterline water quality is finally being addressed in a more substantive way. Sterilization of handpieces is finally getting the attention it deserves. The CDC is now recommending that each dental practice have an Infection Control Coordinator. The Summary includes additional topics and information relevant to dental infection prevention and control published by CDC since 2003 including:

More than a million American workers suffer back injuries each year, and 70% of all workers will experience low back pain, so avoiding musculoskeletal disorders is a vital part of dental office operations.

Untested autoclaves can lead to sick patients. They can also leave a practice owner open to stiff fines, lawsuits … even suspension of their license.
 
The Challenge of Compliance
 
In Texas, State Board Rule 108.24 states that “sterilization equipment and its adequacy shall be tested and verified in accord with the American Dental Association recommendations.”

More than a million American workers suffer back injuries each year, and 70% of all workers will experience low back pain, so avoiding musculoskeletal disorders is a vital part of dental office operations.