In this episode of In the Sterilization Room with Jackie, infection prevention expert Jackie Dorst, RDH, BS, shares a recent call from an orthodontic office that got called out by a mom who also happened to be a dental hygienist. As Jackie explains it, the practice was rightly called out for the fact that an orthodontic assistant wasn’t wearing gloves while prepping a saliva ejector. Even though the practice thought it was doing the right thing, Jackie explains the proper protocol and why this episode is a wake up call for both this practice and all practices to do a review of their infection prevention protocols. The fact is cases of COVID-19 are surging nationwide and it’s more important than ever for practices to make sure they are doing things right and also that they haven’t gotten lax in adhering to the guidance that has been laid out by the CDC. OP
Links:
CDC Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings – https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/pdf/safe-care-checklist.pdf
OSAP/DentaQuest Best Practices for Infection Control in Dental Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic – https://www.osap.org/page/covid-19-best-practices
