IPAC Compliance
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March 05, 2023A dental office reprocessing area must be organized in a one-way workflow to prevent cross-contamination. The one-way workflow is composed of stations that are linked in functionality to one another to finally achieve the end point of reprocessing; sterilization. Each station can only perform the duties of THAT station and can only host the contents of THAT station’s tasks. In ‘common practice’ vs ‘best practice’ reprocessing rooms ...
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March 01, 2023There are two main elements to the reprocessing of a dental bur. First, what does the manufacturer of the bur state to do with the bur? Is it single use or can it be reprocessed? Second, if it can be reprocessed what are the steps from end-to-end use that meet IPAC standards of practice.
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February 15, 2023
The process of disinfecting is a two-step procedure. First, the surface must be cleaned to ensure all blood, debris, and waste is removed. Second, the surface is disinfected by applying a disinfectant and letting the chemicals activate for the noted contact time to kill all bacteria, viruses and possible fungi present.
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December 08, 2022Antibiotic resistance is a global issue that requires the attention of all countries, governments, and health agencies.
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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 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 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...
