Rigorous infection prevention and control practices are essential in a busy dental office. To ensure patient and staff safety, infection must be fought on multiple fronts. Bloodborne, waterborne, airborne, and contact transmission all pose safety risks and make disinfection time-consuming and labor-intensive. But what if there was a way to streamline infection control practices to make them faster, simpler, and more effective?
Beyond traditional dental disinfection solutions, advances in technology, tools, and supplies are changing the game. Modern dental offices are able to simplify disinfection while reducing contamination risk, maintaining compliance, and providing the highest standard of patient care.
This article will look at how to streamline infection control and ensure patient safety with innovative products and solutions.
In any medical setting, surfaces, instruments, and equipment must be sanitized. Infection prevention and control are essential to public health and safety. The CDC provides helpful guidelines, and every dental office should have a manual that outlines critical best practices. These should include the safe handling and disposal of sharps, procedures for reprocessing reusable tools, and protocols for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. The manual should also cover when and how gloves, face masks, face shields, and other PPE should be worn, as well as the use of barrier protection, like disposable headrest covers and bite block sleeves.
Dental technology is advancing fast, and disinfection and sterilization solutions are no exception. AI-enabled robotic cleaning systems are reducing labor, eliminating operator error, and ensuring consistent results. UV-C light is being used to kill bacteria and viruses without chemicals. There are even surfaces that self-disinfect, as well as eco-friendly chemical solutions that remove pathogens and keep patients and practitioners safe from harm.
Dental infection control products, tools, and equipment are there to protect everyone in the office at every interaction, from waiting room to operatory. Here are some highly effective solutions that can help streamline infection control, save time, and improve efficiency in a dental setting.
An enzymatic detergent, such as EmPower, is a great example of a product that can streamline infection control. It loosens and breaks down debris like blood and tissue, speeding up and aiding the cleaning process. Surgical milk is typically used after an enzymatic detergent as a pre-autoclave dip. It lubricates and coats instruments, making them easier to clean. It also helps them last longer by preventing rust buildup and dulling of sharp edges.
Pre-saturated wipes, such as Optim 1 wipes, disinfect in one step. With just a 60-second broad-spectrum kill time, they offer fast and convenient surface disinfection. Since they come premoistened, the correct solution concentration is used every time, and the individual sheets make them ideal for removing organic matter while disinfecting.
When intermediate-level disinfection is need, BioSURF bag-in-box provides rapid hard-surface disinfection in one minute. Made of EPA-certified plant-based ingredients, it ensures speedy and effective disinfection of counters, trays, devices, and instruments in an eco-friendly formulation.
Highly efficient waterline cleaners, such as BluTab dental waterline maintenance tablets, inhibit microbial growth and keep lines clean for up to 28 days. With no measuring required, the easy-to-use tablets streamline waterline cleaning, effectively eliminating the need to purge lines daily and shock the system weekly.
For additional convenience and assurance, in-house dental waterline test kits, such as QuickPass in-office kits, provide test results within 48-72 hours. They help practices ensure chairside water remains CDC-compliant while simplifying the testing process.
Dental practices have a responsibility to keep patients and staff safe from cross-contamination and infection at all times. Today’s highly effective dental disinfection solutions can help simplify and streamline infection control, minimize risk, and provide peace of mind for everyone in a dental office.