Recent Blog Posts

• Unwrapping the Importance of Bacterial Filtration Efficiency in Sterilization Wrap

  Posted: April 12, 2024

  Categories: IPAC Compliance , Infection Control , Dental Hygiene , Professional , Pathogens
  

  Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) is a measure used to evaluate the effectiveness of material at filtering out bacteria from a liquid or aerosolized solution. It’s often used in the context of healthcare settings, including dental offices, to assess the performance of sterilization wraps.

   

  In dental offices, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) protocols are critical for maintaining a safe and sterile environment for patients and staff. Sterilization wraps are used to cover instruments and equipment to prevent contamination and ensure the remain sterile until use.

   

  The BFE of sterilization wraps indicates how well the material can filter out bacteria, which is crucial for preventing the transmission of infectious agents during dental procedures. Higher BFE values signify better filtration efficiency, meaning the wrap is more effective at preventing bacterial contamination.

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• Spaulding’s Classifications for Dental Offices Including Single-use Items

  Posted: April 05, 2024

  Categories: IPAC Compliance , Personal Protection and Safety , Infection Control , Dental Hygiene , Professional
  

  Spaulding’s classifications are a system used to categorize medical devices and equipment based on the risk of infection associated with their use. This system was created by Dr. Earle H. Spaulding in the mid-20^th century and has since become a standard in healthcare settings, including dental offices. There are three main classifications in the Spaulding system: critical, semi-critical, and non-critical.

   

  Critical items are those that come into contact with sterile tissue or the vascular system, posing the highest risk of infection if contaminated. In a dental office, critical items may include surgical instruments like scalpels and forceps. These items must be sterilized after each use to eliminate any potential pathogens.

   

  Semi-critical items are those that come into contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin but d

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• A Comprehensive Comparison: Magnetostrictive VS. Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Scalers

  Posted: March 29, 2024

  Categories: Procedural , Oral Care , Dental Hygiene , Professional
  

  Dental is a fundamental procedure in oral healthcare, essential for maintaining optimal dental hygiene and preventing oral diseases. Among the various tools and techniques employed in dental debridement, two prominent methods stand out: magnetostrictive scalers, and piezoelectric scalers. Understanding the differences between these two ultrasonic scalers is crucial for dental professionals to make informed decisions about their clinical practices and provide the best possible care for their patients.

  Magnetostrictive scalers and piezoelectric scalers operate on distinct principles, each offering unique advantages and drawbacks. In this comprehensive comparison, we dive a little deeper into the intricacies of these two methods, exploring their mechanisms of action, applications, and the highlights and challenges associated with each.

  As we embark on this exploration,

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• Under the Watchful Eye: The Hawthorne Effect and Dental Infection Control Vigilance

  Posted: February 16, 2024

  Categories: IPAC Compliance , Infection Control , Office Life , Professional
  

  Infection control in dentistry is critical to ensuring dental practitioners' and patients' health and safety. With the rise of infectious diseases and the need for stringent practices to prevent their spread, compliance with infection control protocols is of utmost importance in the dental industry. However, achieving full compliance can be challenging, as healthcare providers may demonstrate the Hawthorne effect, impacting their behavior and adherence to recommended guidelines. This article explores the concept of the Hawthorne effect in relation to infection control in dentistry and discusses strategies to ensure effective compliance.

   

  The Hawthorne effect, initially discovered through a series of studies in the 1920s and 1930s at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago, refers to the phenomenon where people modify their behavior due to the awareness or perception of being observed. In the context of infection control

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