Why does sterilization monitoring include both a biological indicator ‘test’ and a ‘control’?  Post incubation is it not clear enough that the user will simply look to see if the vial is purple or yellow?  Seems simple to observe a color change and log the outcomes.  This is all indeed true, however, dental professionals need to remember the structure of scientific testing and validating. Going back to high school science and the science labs in undergrad we were all taught the purpose of following the scientific method. As we get busy in our typ

If my dental regulatory body does not state specifically, that I need to track and trace, then who is telling me to track and trace?

A terrific question for any busy dental office to pose … who is telling me to track and trace?  To answer the ‘who’ one must understand the ‘why’.  Once the ‘why’ is understood through a risk management lens and professional responsibility to keep the public safe, the who loses its debate as you will be the person telling yourself to track and trace! 

Tracking and tracing are linking a sterilized package to the client it was used on.  Why do we label packages with the date, sterilizer #, load #, contents, and initialize? It is not just to label to see when it was sterilized but also where it’s going or in past tense, has gone. The label is the first step of having a recall system in place, it’s the tracking of packa

Infection prevention and control (IPAC) is a fundamental aspect of dental practice, ensuring the safety of both clients and dental professionals. A critical component of these standards is the Point of Care Risk Assessment (PCRA), which helps dental professionals determine the appropriate PPE for various procedures and client interactions.

A PCRA is conducted before any client interaction or procedure. It involves evaluating the potential risks of exposure to infectious pathogens and determining the necessary measures to mitigate these risks. This assessment considers the client’s health status, the type of dental procedure, and the likelihood of exposure to blood, bodily fluids, and other infectious materials. The following are elements to consider during a PCRA:

Client Health Status: Assessing the client’s med

Risk management is at the forefront of the topic of infection prevention and control (IPAC). When looking at IPAC through a risk management lens we can breakdown where the risks originate and tackle them with the proper mitigation.  Tackle them AHEAD of time before they are a problem.  Think of risk mitigation as the addition of safety nets to catch the problem and halt its negative consequences.

Risk management deduction is best executed by posing the ‘right’ questions.  Simple questions that allow the narrowing of the problem at hand. There is no magic number of questions, but rather realizing it can take as many questions as needed.  On the topic of instrument reprocessing what questions could be asked to see the risks, evaluate if your safety nets have holes and decide where to add or repair safety nets?  Let’s break it down.

Where do the IPAC Standards in Canada originate? To simplify, the hierarchy revolves around the Canadian Standards Association Group (CSA). CSA is organized with technical committees under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Health and Well-Being. Standards are developed and in compliance with the Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada, then published as a National Standard of Canada by CSA Group (CSA, 2023).

Where does Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) fit in? Since its establishment in 2004, PHAC is a federal department that operates separately from Health Canada reporting directly to the Canadian Minister of Health (Marchildon,2008). PHAC works with Chief Public Health Officers in the municipal and provincial sectors. At the municipal level are the local Public Health Units (PHU). 

The New 2023 Standards from the Canadian Standards Association.

The second edition of CAN/CSA-Z314, Canadian Medical Device Reprocessing in All Healthcare Settings was updated over a course of several years and released in 2023. It supersedes the previous edition (CAN/CSA-Z314:18) published in 2018 under the title Canadian medical device reprocessing. All editions of the standard address the safe and effective reprocessing of medical devices and supplies in healthcare facilities.

The editing of the title itself is part of the task of

DUWL Maintenance: Back to Chemistry and Biology Class!

No matter what geographical area a dental office is in, it MUST have a Dental Unit Water Line (DUWL)maintenance program. Who says?  Is it the dental regulatory bodies?  Is it the manufacturer of the dental chair or bracket table that hosts DUWL’s? It’s both!  The dental regulatory bodies state to observe the manufacturer’s instructions for use (MIFU).  Perfect, so then we head over to the MIFU and what does it state? Low and behold as clear as day we need a program that includes cleaning, disinfecting, and testing.

How do you clean the inside of one of the smallest tubes possible? 

With enzymes t

Sterilization in various fields, including healthcare and dentistry, plays a critical role in eradicating harmful microorganisms from equipment and instruments to ensure safety. To ascertain the effectiveness of sterilization processes, the implementation of chemical and biological indicators serves as an indispensable practice, providing valuable insights into the process and eventual success of the sterilization procedures.

What Are the Different Types?

Chemical Indicators

There are 6 different types of chemical indicators when it comes to steam sterilization. To ensure a dental office using the correct indicators refer to the governing bodies Infection Prevention and Control guidelines.

Type 1 – Process Indicator

It is no secret that dental clinicians work hours upon hours under the armor of personal protective equipment. For educational facilities and some dental offices, the pandemic PPE layers were not new protocols. For others, it was a novel approach to the safe practice of dentistry.

Are all these layers still required post-pandemic? Why had educational facilities and some offices already expanded their PPE wardrobe before the pandemic?

As dental professionals, it is not new news that enamel falls prey to constant demineralization.  In the Enamel 101 of dentistry, we learned the fact that hydroxyapatite can be attacked by acids and break down if there is not a remineralization balance.  The ideal balance is to stop acid attacks period.