Infection Control
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September 14, 2022In any IPAC discussion, a proper risk assessment guided by the Hierarchy of Controls and Spaulding’s Classification will never stir any IPAC guru wrong! Even with dental offices having attended countless continuing education on IPAC, there may still be lingering remnants of ‘common practice’ that require a closer look.
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July 28, 2022Dentistry needs the use of ultrasonic scalers, air polishers, and dental handpieces to perform our treatments properly. Professional health and safety recommendations are regularly developing, and we must continue to seek the most evidence-based information for proper infection prevention against the many forms of disease transmission challenging us today. The most significant reduction in aerosol production at the site of formation is by the proper use of a ...
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July 18, 2022
Identifying pathogens to ensure proper elimination has always been part of the infection prevention and control in dentistry. The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has shown how an emerging pathogen can surface and spread globally. Emerging pathogens are defined as a new microorganism or an existing microorganism that is changing patterns. In the hopeful forward movement out of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, the Monkeypox virus has made a come back from the late 1970’s where in the 1980’s it was believed to be irradicated with successful vaccinations 1. Monkeypox virus is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus, and includes variola virus (smallpox virus), vaccinia virus, cowpox, and other poxviruses 2. The National Library of Medicine states “the last endemic case of smallpox occurred in 1977, total eradication was confirmed in 1980” 3. “Smallpox helped to shape history, and it made history by being the first disease to be controlled by immunization and the first to be era
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June 30, 2022Finding instruments affected by an IPAC lapse requires a system that leaves no room for error. That translates to either missing notifying clients involved in the lapse and/or notifying by error clients not involved in the lapse. Both are HUGE risks that no office wants. Can this risk be mitigated? Good news, yes, and the answer is digital logging with barcodes that ensure accuracy with a system computer engineered with prompting screens loaded with the actual IPAC standards.
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June 24, 2022The transfer of these microorganisms must occur in a sequence; this sequence is what epidemiologists call the chain of infection. This chain of infection transmission can be broken by integrating controls or methods that mitigate the pathway of disease spread from person to person. This sequence must be in order for the disease to occur. The way to stop disease transmission is to interrupt this chain at any link. Knowledge of the exit and entry portals and transmission modes provides a basis for determining appropriate control measures.....
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June 17, 2022It's easy for us to open the box of gloves, put them on, do our job, and take them off without giving them a second thought? But when we think about it, are we making infection control mistakes with the gloves we use many times during the day?
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June 14, 2022Clients, patients and dental professionals all want to be safe at the dental practice. Keeping up with the high standards of IPAC and best practice will help keep your practice free from transmission and IPAC lapses. Dental professionals have access to research and best practice information related to safety but sometimes that isn’t the best avenue to follow in order to keep your practice at the highest standards of IPAC.
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May 20, 2022
Knowing more information about choosing the right protective gown hopefully solves any dilemma about selection and usage. The required dental PPE lineup is full and highly influenced by the task. Remember to ‘pick the mask for the task’ and ‘go to town with the right gown!'
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May 05, 2022As oral health professionals, it's our responsibility to keep dental clinical contact surfaces clean and disinfected. At the same time, oral health professionals have a substantial investment in dental office equipment that they don't want to destroy with harsh chemicals. This is why it's important to look for cleaning and disinfecting products that meet or exceed IPAC standards and are also gentle enough to use on equipment. You can definitely have the best of both...
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maxill Announces ‘maxill Student IPAC Champion Award’ for Dental Hygiene Students and 2021 Recipient
April 13, 2022St. Thomas, Ontario – April 2022: maxill inc is excited to announce the new maxill Student IPAC Champion Award. This new award will recognize future leaders in dentistry and reward their growth and understanding of infection prevention and control (IPAC) with a financial contribution to their education.