Infection Control
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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 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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February 01, 2022
Dental professionals spend numerous hours a day dental practices reprocessing dental instruments. We open the box of sterilization pouches, fill them with instruments and send them to the heat and pressure of our autoclaves. How much thought do we put into that little plastic and paper bag?
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August 02, 2021
Infection control is an indispensable part of hospital environments and medical settings.
Regular disinfection ensures that working surfaces are kept clean, and potential pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi are eliminated, thus reducing the risk of passing on contamination between patients and between patients and the clinic or hospital staff.
Several types of disinfectants are available in the market, each with a different active component in variable ratios and concentrations.
The choice of disinfectant depends on the spectrum of antimicrobial activity, access, safety factors, handling factors, contact time, and ease of use.
The names Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and Isopropanol are synonymous.
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November 30, 2020
Dental offices are no strangers to the potential of having an unannounced IPAC Public Health inspection. Now dental offices can add the possibility of the Ministry of Labour randomly arriving to the dental practice to inspect the offices pandemic plan and compliance. The difference between the two inspections is Public Health is mandated to protect the public and the Ministry of Labour for the employee/worker safety. Every workplace must be free of hazards to the employee, this includes infection control with the SARS-COV-2 being an infectious hazard. The missions of both authorities do overlap in the end with the result being overall human safety.
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April 08, 2020
In the current situation of dental office closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are varying degrees of concerns that dental professionals are facing. Myself, as an RDH working clinically and an IPAC educator, I have a constant barrage of "what’s and if’s" anxiously circling through my mind like a movie stuck on repeat.
