More than Just Sunglasses! Eye Protection in Dentistry: A Clinician’s Duty to Educate and Safeguard.

When clients settle into the dental chair, they’re not just trusting us with their teeth... they’re trusting us with their safety as a whole. One of the most commonly overlooked, yet vital, components of that safety is eye protection. You may be asking yourself, “Why are we still talking about something as fundamental as protective eyewear? Shouldn’t this already be second nature in dentistry?” The truth is, it should be. However, the question continues to resurface in IPAC discussions, particularly as many practices experience rotating staff who may not have received consistent or comprehensive IPAC training. Dental procedures can produce aerosols, project debris, contaminate with water spray, chemicals, and even cause accidental sharp injuries. The result? Preventable injuries that can change lives forever.

Clinician Responsibility: Educate, Empower, Enforce

As dental professionals, our mandate extends far beyond performing cleanings or fillings. We are responsible for:

• Educating clients on why protective eyewear matters.
• Providing ANSI‑compliant safety glasses featuring wrap‑around design and full‑coverage side shields.
• Enforcing compliance: If a client refuses eyewear, the appointment must be postponed. The risk is simply too great.
• Clients deserve clear, transparent information to make informed decisions. When they understand that eyewear guards against splatter, flying particles, aerosols, and even chemical exposure, they can choose wisely, or reconsider their treatment in absence of proper protection.

Goggles vs. Safety Glasses: What’s the Difference?

Safety Glasses: The standard in dental environments, with side shields, wraparound coverage, and impact resistance. These protect against most routine hazards.
Goggles: Fully sealed devices, akin to swimming goggles, offering maximum protection. Typically, not required, but in scenarios involving highly contagious emerging pathogens, public health authorities may recommend goggles as additional precautions with enhanced PPE, supplementing masks and face shields.

Real Client Story: Jenn Morrone's Devastating Injury

Consider the case of Jenn Morrone, a New Jersey mother whose life was irrevocably changed during what should have been a routine root canal. In 2013, the dentist delivered local anesthetic and in a critical lapse of protocol, the uncapped syringe was passed over her face (Total Medical Compliance, 2022). Accidentally, the needle dropped into her eye, directly injecting oral bacteria, specifically Streptococcus, into the eye (Total Medical Compliance, 2022). No protective eyewear had been offered.

No immediate action was taken, rather than an emergency eye wash, Jenn was handed a tissue, and the procedure continued (DentistryIQ, 2017). By the next day, she experienced excruciating pain. Multiple surgeries followed, including infection removal and finally the removal of her lens and the eye could not be saved (DentistryIQ, 2017). Jenn was fitted with a prosthetic eye and left with permanent blindness in one eye (DentistryIQ, 2017).

Jenn describes it as entirely preventable, if only she had been provided openly available ANSI-rated safety glasses, she would still have her vision (Total Medical Compliance, 2022). Following the incident, Jenn launched Jenn’s Vision, raising awareness about eye protection during dental care. Her mission includes an annual social media “Sunglass Selfie” campaign to normalize client eyewear and push for legal mandates (RDH Magazine, 2017).

Her story, featured in media gives a human face to something often dismissed as minor, it’s not ‘just’ a pair of sunglasses protecting against the bright light! I had the personal live experience of witnessing Jenn’s story at an IPAC conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Her story was emotional and compelling and draws a call to duty for all dental professionals. Should a client decline to wear safety eyewear, abort the services, it is not worth the risk to the client nor a professional malpractice situation. Should a team member in your dental practice, or yourself, not see the urgency in making eyewear a compulsory part of dental procedures set-up and treatment, pass along this article and/or re-read this article from the beginning. If more proof is required I urge you to see the image of Jenn’s infected eye!

Conclusion: Making Eye Safety a Norm, Not an Afterthought

Eye safety must be a default expectation, not an optional extra. As clinicians, we must:

1. Provide safety glasses for every client, every time.
2. Explain why eyewear matters, and what could happen if it's skipped.
3. Stop care when protection is declined — it’s both a moral and legal imperative.
4. Advocate for policy change where necessary, drawing on real stories like Jenn’s to underscore urgency.

By doing so, we not only mitigate risk, we reinforce trust. We show clients that their safety matters as much to us as their treatment does. And above all, we honor the oath we’ve taken: to do no harm.

References

DentistryIQ. (2017, January 17). Jenn’s Vision: A true lesson in best practices. DentistryIQ. https://www.dentistryiq.com/dental-hygiene/client-education/article/16359576/jenns-vision-a-true-lesson-in-best-practices

Edwards, T. (2014, October 27). Dental eye-protection movement born from infection-control issues. DrBicuspid.com. https://www.drbicuspid.com/dental-hygiene/infection-control/article/15369843/dental-eye-protection-movement-born-from-infection-control-issues

RDH Magazine. (2017, February 1). Jenn’s Vision: Victim of eye injury turns into advocate for eyewear for dental clients. RDH Magazine. https://www.rdhmag.com/client-care/article/16409763/jenns-vision-victim-of-eye-injury-turns-into-advocate-for-eyewear-for-dental-clients

Total Medical Compliance. (2022, August 25). Jenn’s Vision for eye protection best practices. Total Medical Compliance. https://totalmedicalcompliance.com/jenns-vision-for-eye-protection-best-practices/

Michelle Aubé (Simmonds) RDH, maxill Dental Hygiene Educator

Michelle is a Dental Hygiene Speaker, Consultant and Educator with over 30 years of experience as a RDH and 4 years as a CDA. She is a professor and curriculum writer at Fanshawe College in both the dental hygiene and continuing education program sharing her knowledge in IPAC, professional practice, periodontal classification, social justice, advocacy and clinical applications. She is maxill's CE and IPAC Director and wears various IPAC hats including auditing federal correctional facilities dental clinics for IPAC standards. Michelle is ODHA's Regional Board Director and authors articles for CDHA's OH Canada professional publication and continues to practice clinically in London ON. She is a CDHO IPAC Remedial Facilitator and IPAC Expert Opinion. Her strong ethics has allowed her to serve on the Discipline Committee at Algonquin College and hold the position of a CDHO Quality Assurance Assessor for 7 years. As a lifelong learner she is completing a BA in Adult Education at Brock University. Her diverse dental background and current status as a practicing RDH offer a fulsome and realistic view of dental-related topics. As a passionate champion for the profession, she advocates for equity, professional autonomy, and systemic change, true grassroots leadership at its finest.

Michelle can be reached at [email protected]