Enzymatic cleaners are fundamental assets within dental practices, offering a targeted and efficient solution for the removal of organic residues from instruments used in various procedures. Their mechanism of action, controlled through specific enzymes, ensures a thorough cleaning process that goes beyond what conventional cleaners can achieve. In dentistry, these cleaners play a pivotal role in upholding strict hygiene standards, minimizing contamination risks, and prolonging the lifespan of essential instruments and equipment.

Enzymatic Action and Specific Enzymes:

Enzymatic cleaners employ a diverse range of enzymes, each tailored to break down specific organic compounds present on dental instruments.

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

In the dental industry, ensuring the safety of dental professionals and patients is of paramount importance. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a vital role in safeguarding against potential hazards, including infectious diseases, chemical exposure, and physical injuries. Donning and doffing protocols are crucial procedures that dental professionals must adhere to in order to properly wear and remove PPE. This article will explore the various types of PPE used in the dental industry and the correct practices for donning and doffing.

Writing an IPAC Manual has its challenges. It's not as easy as it seems, as there are many factors to consider before you can call it complete. The following is a list of frequently asked questions, and responses from maxill's own dental educator extraordinaire, Michelle Aube-Simmonds, RDH.   

Does every office need a DUWL program?

This can be answered by the equipment the office has.  There are two types of water delivery systems in a dental office:  direct municipal and closed bottle systems. 

The direct municipal has no bottle and is only required to purge the DUWL on opening, closing, and between clients. 

However, a closed water system as per the MIFU of the manufacturer of the dental chair or bracket table with the attached bottle, states a program is required to include cleaning, disinfecting, and testing. 

At this point, a retrofit from municipal to closed is not mandated.  It is important to note that offices do not get confused with the word municipal … if the office uses tap water in their closed bottle system that is not considered m

Risk Management in a Dental Office

In many provinces, the pivotal moment for IPAC was before the pandemic, in 2017, when public health units and regulatory bodies took a closer look at the practice of IPAC in dentistry to ensure compliance with ‘routine practice’.  Before the pandemic, many offices had already swept through their IPAC policies and made enhancements to strengthen their IPAC procedures, decreasing the risk level and satisfying the elements of routine practice.  Although in 2017 reading the fine print and deciphering through the grey areas of written standards seemed like a pain in the neck, I look back and say thank you, 2017, for shaking our IPAC world ahead of time. 

In this shake-up, dental professionals became more knowledgeable in the theory of IPAC and started initiating structure to IPAC.  Again, not that we did not follow IPAC prior, but we did

In the fast-paced and demanding environment of dental clinics, efficient and reliable sterilization of instruments is paramount to ensure patient safety and infection control. One crucial item that has revolutionized dental instrument reprocessing is the self-sealing sterilization pouch.

Components and Features:

A self-sealing sterilization pouch is typically made of a medical-grade, durable, and puncture-resistant material, often a combination of transparent polypropylene and medical-grade paper. These pouches come in various sizes to accommodate different instruments, from small dental items such as burs, handpieces, explorers to larger things such as forceps, rubber dam frames, instrument cassettes and more.

Interim guidance on infection prevention and control for suspect, probable, or confirmed monkeypox within Healthcare settings*