Dental office cell phone safety

Cell phones in the office are the expected and not the unusual... that said, it should be the policy of ALL dental offices to have them shut off while in the patient treatment areas.

There are many reasons for this not the least of which is that they can certainly present a significant distraction and may in fact interfere with the delivery of optimum dental care.

Additionally, most of these devices are able to take photos and some will also take videos. This has the potential to have some impact of a negative nature if some of the photos are misrepresentations. Please use caution with allowing electronic device usage by patients or visitors in the office.

Please call us at Dynamic Dental Safety ... (888) 669-8846 with any questions as well as complimentary phone consultation... visit us at our site www.dynamicdentalsafety.com for additional information regarding on-site services and continuing education with ADA/CERP credits.

Dental Safety Meeting

Dr. Howard Pactovis has just returned from the OSAP meeting in Tampa, FL. OSAP is the premier safety organization for all things dental. He will be happy to share any valuable compliance and safety updates.

Visit our website and you are invited to request complimentary materials and access to ADA/CERP courses. We have just launched the "industry standard" of live interactive CEU for the dental community.

Toll free contact us at 888-669-8846 or link to our site at http://www.dynamicdentalsafety.com and our online partner at http://www.dentallearning.org

World TB Day --- March 24, 2009

World TB Day is observed each year on March 24 to commemorate the datein 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Worldwide,TB remains one of the leading causes of death from infectious disease. An estimated 2 billion persons are infected with M. tuberculosis (1).

In 2006, approximately 9.2 million persons became ill from TB, and 1.7 million died from the disease (1). World TB Day provides anopportunity for TB programs, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners to describe problems and solutions related to the TB pandemic and to support worldwide TB control efforts. The U.S. theme for this year's observance is Partnerships for TB Elimination.

Additional information about World TB Day and CDC TB- elimination activities is available at http://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday.

ref. MMWR March 20, 2009 / 58(10);249

OSHA Resources - Pandemic Influenza

A new Safety and Health Topics Web page on pandemic influenza has been posted to OSHA's Web site. The page is a central repository for OSHA information and resources on helping workplaces prepare for a pandemic. One of the newest resources is a link to a Web page featuring answers to the most frequently asked questions about OSHA's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers.

Put You Hands Together - Handwashing Video

Scientists estimate that people are not washing their hands often or well enough and may transmit up to 80% of all infections by their hands. From doorknobs to animals to food, harmful germs can live on almost everything. Handwashing may be your single most important act to help stop the spread of infection and stay healthy.

Check out this great Video from the CDC-
Put Your Hands Together

www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/HandsTogether/

Source: National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID) and National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED) Running Time: (3:38)