Page 36 - Compendium Chapters for Course 1 (IC, DPA, OSHA)

Perhaps the most overlooked part of preplanning infection control in the operatory is the patient chart. The temptation is great to have the chart readily available next to the dentist, to write notes with a gloved hand during a procedure, or to place an x-ray on the view box. When this happens, the chart is contaminated either by spatter or direct contact with contaminated hands. Therefore preplan the chart location away from the patient’s head, place the x-ray on the viewer before treatment; and if notes must be made, record them temporarily on paper that can be discarded when the operatory is cleaned.
USE OF INFECTION CONTROL BARRIERS
Before applying surface barriers, be sure germicide-safe surfaces are cleaned. Once the area is dry, place the cover over the entire surface and secure it. Dental chair backs and headrests can be covered with plastic bags and, if the bag is long enough, the chair buttons will also be protected.
Air and water lines are continually being exposed to spatter and general chairside contamination. The best way to protect these lines is to cover them with a plastic sleeve up to the point where the functional tip is attached. This includes handpieces, air and water syringes, and saliva ejectors. Dental suppliers now stock long, thin, plastic sleeves that can be cut to length to cover the hoses. Plastic covers or aluminum foil can be used to protect light handles.
Remember that everything that is touched by a gloved hand after patient contact is contaminated. Thus, when information must be recorded in a chart, do not pick up a pen and write until either a barrier such as disposable over gloves further protects the gloved (contaminated) hands or the exam gloves are removed and the hands are washed.
DENTAL UNIT WATER LINES AND VACUUM SYSTEMS
(21) Dental unit water lines shall be anti-retractive. At the beginning of each workday, dental unit lines and devices shall be purged with air or flushed with water for at least two (2) minutes prior to attaching handpieces, scalers, air water syringe tips, or other devices. The dental unit lines and devices shall be flushed between each patient for a minimum of twenty (20) seconds.
A plastic, disposable or autoclavable metal air/water syringe tip is used for each patient. Plastic barriers cover the air/water syringe handle and control buttons. A new tip is placed after each use, making sure that no plastic material is trapped over the orifice. The syringe is then purged by spraying water through the lines at the beginning of the day and end of the day for two minutes to remove all potential microbial material that may have built up in the syringe lines.
Intro Page - 36
Introductory Chapter: Dental Practice Act, Infection Control and Cal-OSHA
The California RDAEF: A Compendium for Licensure Success © The Foundation for Allied Dental Education, Inc. 2016 Copyright protected. All rights reserved