Dental Office Environmental Issues

Buildings with poor indoor air quality (IAQ) or chronic leaks frequently have areas with surface fungal contamination. Studies have demonstrated that certain fungi grow on building materials such as wallpaper, drywall, and ceiling tiles, particularly after water damage has occurred. In some people, excessive mold can trigger allergic reactions. In addition, brown or black stained ceiling tiles does not give the proper message to your patients or staff about the overall sanitation in your dental office.

If you discover stained ceiling tiles, first identify and fix the source of the leak. Problems with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), leaky pipes or roof are the likely culprits. Cleaning porous ceiling tiles is difficult and replacement is generally necessary. Note that you should conduct these maintenance and cleanup activities when the occupancy of the building is at its lowest.

Decontamination of Computer Keyboards and Mice in the Dental Office

Photo Courtesy of Seal Shield Corp.

Cleaning and/or disinfecting irregular surfaces in dental operatories is difficult at best. Decontamination of keyboards and computer mice have particularly been an issue, as the electronics are susceptible to water and disinfectant solutions. Low cost - washable computer devices have recently become available. Several models are even dishwasher safe. We recommend that you reexamine your cleaning protocols and consider washable computer input devices in an effort to reduce cross-contamination. For further information please contact Dynamic Dental Safety at: (888) 669-8846 ext 701.

Safety in Your Dental Waiting Room

Have you ever considered that your Dental Waiting Room could be dangerous to young children? Outlet Plugs help prevent children from putting sharp objects and fingers into electrical outlets. Small children are very curious and are tempted to play with anything within their reach. By protecting your outlets you decrease the possibility of electrical shock. Simply insert Outlet Plus (available in hardware and home stores) into unused sockets. Outlets Plugs will fit firmly in place. This product is only a deterrent. It is not a substitute for proper adult supervision. So, don’t assume that parents are paying attention to their children in the waiting room…Front desk staff should “keep an eye out”.

Disposables

The device shown at the right is a disposable prophy angle. In a few of the offices that we have visited it has been noted that some of these "wound up" in the ultrasonic cleaner. Looking at that from a potential OSHA or Board of Registration in Dentistry inspector's viewpoint............. the dental office will most certainly be reusing this item.

This then becomes a huge issue and one that likely will result in a citation at the very least. The lesson to be learned here for the dentist and the dental office is that items that are classified as disposable, must be disposed of after a single use. Under no circumstances should it be justified to reuse a disposable dental treatment related item in the dental office.

For any further clarification of this or other safety or infection control related issues in the dental office please do not hesitate to contact us at (888) 669-8846 ext. 701

State and Federal Labor Law Posters

All employers (including dental offices) are required to post several Federal and State specific labor notices. The Federal Posting Requirements include:

• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law
• Federal Minimum Wage
• Employee Polygraph Notice
• Federal OSHA Poster
• IRS Witholding Notice
• Payday Notice
• USERRA - Your Rights Under USERRA
• Family and Medical Leave Act (if 50 or more employees).

Many Federal and State posters are available free on-line and/or by mail. Searching for all the correct posters can be time consuming. There are several companies that sell combined Federal/State Posters that are laminated. For further information please contact Dynamic Dental Safety at: 888) 669-8846 ext 701.

Needlestick Post-Exposure Evaluation

Do you know EXACTLY what is required when one of your employees sustains a needlestick or other dental sharps injury (e.g. bur, wire, tooth)?

The March issue of our complimentary monthly electronic Newsletter - The Dental Safety Compliance Monitor reviews OSHA's Post - Exposure Evaluation and Follow-up Requirements - A Guide to Dental Employer Obligations. To get a copy of this issue and a complimentary monthly subscription, simply sign-up in the Web Form on this site.

Emergency Eye Wash Procedure

Photo Courtesy of ©Lab Safety Supply, Janesville, WI

It is essential that dental staff be properly trained on emergency eye wash procedures:

• Turn on water with right hand
• Pull button to activate
• Hold eyelids open using the thumb and index finger to help ensure that effective rinsing has occurred
• Water stream should NOT be directly aimed onto the eyeball, but aimed at the base of the nose
• Flush eyes and eyelids with water or eye solution for a minimum of 15 minutes. “Roll” eyes around to ensure full rinsing
• Medical attention should be sought immediately! Ideally another person in the office should make contact with responders or dial 911. The sooner medical attention can be given, the chances of not sustaining permanent damage or blindness is greatly improved.

Note that OSHA uses the American National Standard for Eyewashes and Showers (ANSI Z358.1-2004) to enforce standards for eyewash procedures and maintenance. For further information please contact Dynamic Dental Safety at: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext 701.

World TB Day is March 24

World TB Day is March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of M. tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause TB. World TB Day provides an opportunity to communicate TB-related problems and solutions and to support worldwide TB-control efforts.

The CDC recommends that dental offices perform an annual risk assessment of the number of cases of active TB encountered in the office annually (low-risk setting: less than 3 patients with active TB are seen each year; medium-risk: more than or equal to 3 patients with active TB in the past year).

The CDC recommends that dental office personnel receive training and education on M. tuberculosis and TB disease that emphasizes the increased risks posed by an undiagnosed person with TB disease in a dental-care setting and the specific measures to reduce this risk. Training and education materials are available at http://www.findtbresources.org

References: CDC and ADA Web Sites

Most Frequent OSHA Citations in Dental Offices

Q. Which are the most frequently cited OSHA Standards in dental office and clinics?

A. The following standards, in order, were the most frequently cited by Federal OSHA from October 2005 through September 2006, in Offices And Clinics Of Dentists:

1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens
1910.1200, Hazard communication
1910.132, Personal protective equipment
1910.305, Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use
1910.36, Design and construction requirements for exit routes
1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes 1910.133, Eye and face protection
1910.334, Use of equipment
1904.29, Forms
1904.32, Annual summary

Please contact Dynamic Dental Safety to learn how we can help you maintain OSHA Safety Compliance: phone (888-669-8846 x701) or email: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com

Is Lead Foil Hazardous Waste?

Q. Is the lead foil contained in the dental x-ray package considered hazardous waste?

A. Yes, lead foil would be regulated as hazardous waste since lead is a heavy metal that affects neurological development and functions and can potentially leach from landfills into the environment. However, the preferred alternative by most state health and environmental departments is that the lead foil be sent for scrap metal reclamation (i.e. recycled). Therefore, no form of lead should be placed in the solid waste (trash). Several companies recycle lead foil. For example, they will send you a small container that will hold about a one year’s supply of foil. When the container is full, the foil is returned to the company for recycling and the appropriate paper work is sent back to the office. For a list of companies that offer recycling programs for lead foil, please contact Dynamic Dental Safety: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext 701.

Dental Charts

A question that we get asked at about every visit to a dental office is the following - what about the charts or patient records?........ are they contaminated? The answer that we give to this question is universally the same... YES they are contaminated... HOWEVER....... they are not considered as biohazardous....

This is an extremely important point, especially to the clerical employees who might feel slighted in the workplace or even feel as though they are "put at risk". The reason that they are not biohazardous is similar to the disposal arrangements for the paper and gauze products used in the clinical area of the dental office. Unless they are "blood saturated" the absorbent products are considered as not biohazardous.

For any additional questions and more information on this or other compliance subjects in the dental field please contact us at blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext. 701

Should I Use a Barrier For????

At the left is a typical example of a dental office and the use of barriers for infection control. The question posed is if the barrier for infection control is necessary and what is the proper way to adequately disinfect something that we touch on a regular basis with contaminated gloves.

The answer to this question is....... it depends... mainly on how the barriers are utilized. This means that they might be used to "save time" in the room change situation or due to patient insistence.

The true answer can be obtained from an evaluation of your procedures in the dental office. This would include the input from dental assistants, dental hygienists, and all other interested employees. In truth, there are many ways to deal with something as simple as the dental light handles... soliciting input from within and from us at Dynamic Dental Safety (dds) might be a good idea as well. Call us at (888) 669-8846 ext. 701 and we will be glad to assist in time and money saving ideas for your dental office.

Safety Culture

Safety Culture is a term used to identify an overall approach to managing safety within an organization. Rather than being a set of rules or procedures, safety culture is an attitude or way of life that is practiced in all endeavors. In a total safety culture, employees not only feel responsible for their patients and their own safety, they feel responsible for their peers’ safety. For example, if EVERYONE in your dental office felt it was their responsibility to find opportunities for improvement with infection control procedures, chemical and radiation safety and ergonomics, it is very likely that the office would continually improve it’s overall safety record. In addition, studies have shown that companies demonstrating strong safety cultures also show improvements in performance, quality standards and staff morale.

Tuberculosis Exposures

We recently got a somewhat panicked call from a dental office, explaining that one of their patients who had been treated there the previous day, was told that he has Tuberculosis (TB). The practice was very concerned that everyone in the office, both employees and patients in the waiting room may have been exposed to TB. We advised the office to find out if the patient was diagnosed to have a new TB infection (diagnosed by a skin test) or active TB disease (diagnosed by a chest x-ray or a test of a sputum sample). As it turns out, the patient only had a positive skin test. People who are not sick have what is called latent TB infection. People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. But, some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease (sometimes many years later). So, the message to the office was good - no TB exposure to anyone in the office. Note that the overall risk of Tuberculosis exposures in dental settings is considered very low. The possibility of an infectious disease exposure (e.g. Chicken pox, Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Pertussis, TB) in the dental office needs to be dealt with swiftly and professionally. Please feel free to call dds anytime a consultation is needed: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or toll free (888) 669-8846 ext. 701

Dental Office Safety

The dental office safety program is mandated by OSHA as well as your state board of registration in dentistry. In most cases we at the dental office delegate this to an already overburdened auxiliary. Without realizing it, we may be putting our dental office in a precarious position by not being in full compliance due to the fact that certain of the items necessary for the program are not in place.

We at Dynamic Dental Safety believe in the AIM principle at the upper right. By this we mean that the dental office should do three steps on a regular basis to accomplish full compliance with OSHA, CDC and state guidelines:

• ASSESS - review and evaluate the procedures in the dental office, both in terms of infection control and OSHA
• IMPLEMENT - after a thorough review, put in place both in writing and action the necessary items in the dental office to comply with the mandates
• MAINTAIN - consistently review the materials, governmental mandates and safer dental devices to stay current with the OSHA, CDC and your state regulations

This is a complex task for any one individual. At Dynamic Dental Safety, we have many easy to use materials that are cost effective to allow the dental office to come into full compliance with not only OSHA, but the CDC infection control guidelines and your state licensing board. Please contact us at blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext 701 for samples of or exciting and easy to use material for your dental office.

Poison Prevention Week

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Poison Prevention Week Council are kicking off National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24) to educate and inform consumers of the dangers associated with unintentional poisonings. For information see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/pppa/ppw07.html

Poisonings in a dental office should never happen. However, during our mock safety inspections, we often find improper storage and labeling of chemicals and other hazardous materials. There are a number of materials in dental offices (e.g. cleaners, disinfectants, mercury Amalgams, lab supplies, sharps and other medical waste) that could pose a significant hazard, especially if children are exposed. Here are a few safety tips to observe: Be sure to keep chemicals out of reach. For example, do not store cleaners and disinfectants in public restrooms unless they are in a locked or child-safe cabinet. Ensure that all chemicals and other hazardous materials are labeled and stored properly and that you have a readily available Material Safety Data Sheet for each one. Do not leave children unattended in any area of the office. Put the poison control number, 1-800-222-1222, on every telephone. The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please contact Dynamic Dental Safety if you would like complimentary Emergency Phone Labels for your phones: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or toll free (888) 669-8846 ext. 701.

Saliva Ejector Back-Flow

Q. I have heard that we should advise patients not to close their lips tightly around the tip of the saliva ejector... is that correct?

A. Correct - According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), backflow from low-volume saliva ejectors occurs when the pressure in the patient's mouth is less than that in the evacuator. When patients close their lips and form a seal around the tip of the ejector, a partial vacuum is created. Research suggests that in these situations previously suctioned fluids might be retracted into the patient's mouth. Furthermore, studies have shown that gravity pulls fluid back toward the patient's mouth whenever a length of the suction tubing holding the tip is positioned above the patient's mouth or when a saliva injector is used at the same time as other evacuation (high volume) equipment.

Although no adverse health effects associated with the saliva ejector have been reported, dental health care personnel should be aware that backflow could occur when they use a saliva ejector. Practitioners should not advise patients to close their lips tightly around the tip of the saliva ejector to evacuate oral fluids. Suction lines should be disinfected daily. Dentists should contact the manufacturer of the dental unit to review proper use and maintenance procedures including appropriate disinfection methods.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003. MMWR 2003;52(No. RR-17):31

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

There have been 10 pandemics in the past 300 years – the next one? ... it’s not if… it’s when. A pandemic due to the bird flu might never hit – but a future pandemic due to some type of influenza strain appears to be inevitable.

Planning for such an eventuality is therefore imperative for all health care workers. Dynamic Dental Safety (dds) recommends that all dental health care personnel take action now to stay informed and prepared.

On March 14, 2007, The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a pandemic influenza preparedness plan that defines the agency's current role in six major areas: vaccines, antiviral medications, medical devices, food and feed safety, emergency preparedness and response, and enforcement. See: http://www.fda.gov/oc/op/pandemic/strategicplan03_07.html

Other great links:

- Pandemic influenza: How can dentists prepare the office?
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2111

- Pandemic Influenza Information for Health Professionals:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic/healthprofessional.htm

- Workplace Planning:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/index.html

Childhood Diseases

Of interest to us all in the dental community is the reemergence of some of the childhood diseases like measles and mumps to name just two. It is vital for all dental employees regardless of their position in the office to know their immunity status. This information should be gathered and maintained in a "Confidential Employee Record" and secured in the dental office.

One of the reasons that this is important is that we are all treating an increasing number of "Home Schooled" children. Please note that the parents of these children can opt out of vaccine programs and go unvaccinated as opposed to the children in public school who in most cases must show proof of these vaccinations.

This might put any dental employee who does not have immunity at risk. Under the OSHA general duty clause, this then might become an issue.

For any further information on this subject or any dental compliance/risk prevention issue please contact us at blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or toll free (888) 669-8846 ext. 701

Dental Record Storage/HIPAA Compliance

During many of our on-site safety surveys, we have documented that many dental offices are not maintaining security of their patent's dental records. Charts are often left on open shelves or unlocked file cabinets. When you leave your office at the end of the day, can you be confident that patient records are truly protected from access by contracted housekeeping workers or other maintenance staff. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets a national standard for privacy of health information. Make sure that you secure all your office dental records properly...isn't that the way you would like your own dental and medical records maintained?

Hepatitis B Vaccine Booster Shots

Q: I was vaccinated several years ago. Should I periodically be tested for my hepatitis B antibody level, and should I have a booster shot?

A: Current data show that vaccine-induced hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) levels may decline over time; however, immune memory (anamnestic anti-HBs response) remains intact indefinitely following immunization. Persons with declining antibody levels are still protected against clinical illness and chronic disease. For dental and other health care workers with normal immune status who have demonstrated an anti-HBs response following vaccination, booster doses of vaccine are not recommended nor is periodic anti-HBs testing. Note that all dental offices should maintain the hepatitis B immunization records for their staff including declination statements if applicable.

Dental Safety Issues - Electrical

The dental office is a complex array of spaces. Included amongst these are patient treatment areas, laboratory areas, sterilization areas, business and reception areas. In most cases all of these areas have electrical outlets and hence fall under the OSHA electrical safety standard. It is mandated that all plugs and switches have the appropriate covers. These covers must be intact without any obvious cracks or breakage.

The plug at the right and variations of it are seen regularly in the dental office inspection by Dynamic Dental Safety. If this is visible in your office it might lead to serious injury of an employee or a patient. Conduct a self audit safety inspection on at least a monthly basis and empower employees and patients to give suggestions as to how to improve the status and safety of the dental facility.

This plug in addition to missing the plate cover for safety, is also missing the GFCI protector since it is in a wet/damp area.

Some of OSHA's concerns for safety in the dental office are highlighted in red as well as some other safe practices outside of the dental office:

• Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages.
• Never assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
• Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call the electric utility company to report fallen electrical lines.
• Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities.
• If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires.
• If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call or ask someone to call the local electric utility company and emergency services.
• Never operate electrical equipment while you are standing in water.
• Never repair electrical cords or equipment unless qualified and authorized.
• Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it.
• If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure that they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
• Always use caution when working near electricity.

As always feel free to contact Dynamic Dental Safety for your compliance needs at blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext. 701 to order any of our dental safety related materials.

Ergonomics in Dentistry

The risk of muskuloskeletal disorders among dental professionals is significant. Risk factors include awkward postures, repetition, excessive force (e.g. pinching instruments with the small tendons of the hand) and vibration. Preventing neck, back, shoulder, arm and hand pain can be accomplished through engineering controls (e.g. adjustable chairs, use of loops, ergonomic equipment), proper posture and easy to learn stretching. Ergonomics in dentistry will be addressed in more detail in the April Issue of our electronic Newsletter - The Dental Compliance Monitor. Sign up today for your FREE subscription in the sign-up box on this Blog.

Email Policy - Your email address is safe and secure. We do not disclose or provide your email address to any businesses nor do we rent or sell email.

OSHA/Risk Prevention CD-ROM

We at Dynamic Dental Safety feel strongly that not only the OSHA regulations be adhered to... but in addition those of the CDC and specifically those with respect to Infection Control in Dentistry.

To this end we have constructed the CD-ROM pictured here which is specific to dental offices for the express purpose of bringing them into compliance with OSHA, Infection Control and Risk Prevention in the workplace.

This CD-ROM is available through Dynamic Dental Safety either by blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext. 701.... either way by mentioning this blog you will be given a "special" rate.. and just to show the depth of materials available for your dental OSHA and Infection control... just check out some of the dental specific areas addressed:

1. Consent Forms - Dental Specific
2. Disabilities Act
3. Employment Posters
4. Equipment Maintenance
5. Hazard Container Labels
6. Infection Control
7. Needle Safety
8. OSHA
9. General Forms
10. Post Exposure
11. Practice Management
12. MSDS - over 1,000 right here and searchable
13. Health History Forms - in 21 Languages

and much much more........... to come...........

Ultrasonic Cleaning

Cleaning our dental instruments is one of the most essential elements of dental infection control. This process must be done in a safe and effective manner. One of the ways to safely clean the dental instruments is with the use of an ultrasonic cleaner.

The use of the ultrasonic cleaner provides a safer method of cleaning the dental instruments since it is mechanical rather than the older method of scrubbing the instruments.

Of note is that the ultrasonic cleaner does need some additional labeling to be in full compliance with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29CFR 1910.1200. This item needs to have a "secondary container" label as well as a hazard communication label to fully identify both the liquid contained in the cleaner and the warning to dental employees as to the potential hazard of placing their hands in the liquid unprotected.

These dental container specific labels can be obtained from dynamic dental safety by contacting us at blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com or (888) 669-8846 ext. 701

Latex Allergies

According to OSHA, it is estimated that 8-12 percent of health care workers are latex sensitive with reactions ranging from irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact sensitivity, to immediate, possibly life-threatening, sensitivity. As the price of non-latex gloves and other latex free dental products (e.g. rubber dams) have decreased, there seems to be a trend in dental offices to move towards "low latex" or "latex free environments". Dental health care personnel who are allergic to latex will need to take precautions at work and outside the workplace since latex is used in a variety of other common products in addition to gloves. For additional information see: CDC site on Frequently Asked Questions on Contact Dermatitis and Latex Allergy: http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/faq/latex.htm#7. In addition, please feel free to contact us (email: blog@dyanamicdentalsafety.com Phone: (888) 669-8846 x701) for additional reference materials.

New OSHA Poster

OSHA has revised its mandatory employee poster. Many dental offices use the older versions, and while these may be sufficient, it is always appropriate to be on the "cutting edge" and have the latest and newest versions. For your benefit, here are the links to the posters in both English and Spanish.

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3165.pdf

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3167.pdf

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us for all of the most up to date dental compliance and infection control information, either by toll free phone (888-669-8846 x701) or email: blog@dynamicdentalsafety.com

Lathe Infection Control and Safety

Ways to reduce the risk of injury from aerosols, spatter, and microscopic particles when operating lathes, model trimmers, and other rotary equipment:

- Ensure Plexiglas shield is in position
- Activate vacuum
- Use protective eyewear
- Lab coat/jacket should be worn at all times during fabrication process
- Do not wear outside of the lab, change daily and launder appropriately

Ways to reduce the risk of cross-contamination:
(Pumice has been shown to pose a potential contamination risk via aerosol or direct contact)
- Change pumice daily
- Mix pumice with clean water, diluted 1:10 bleach, or other appropriate disinfectant
- No need for separate pans for new and existing prostheses if isolated properly
- At a minimum, clean and disinfect pumice brushes and rag wheels daily -
Daily heat sterilization is preferable
- Machine should be cleaned and disinfected daily

Reference: USAF Dental Evaluation & Consultation Service

Emergency Action Plans

The OSHA Standard, Emergency Action Plans (29 CFR 1910.39) states that an emergency action plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review. However, an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally to employees. An emergency action plan for your dental office should include the following key areas: procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency; procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation and exit routes; and procedures to account for all employees after evacuation. ***Remember to designate a specific meeting place for employees to assemble after they evacuate the building*** Choose a location at least 100 feet from the building and away from areas where emergency vehicles will be entering the area. An example assembly area could be the corner of your parking lot where the dumpster is always kept. Remember to periodically train all your staff on YOUR emergency action procedures!

First Aid Kit

Note that it is an OSHA requirement to have a First Aid Kit that is dedicated to dental office employees. This is easily created on your own (by contacting us for the contents) or purchasing one from either a vendor or local outlet.

In addition, the American Dental Association recommends certain items to be maintained on site in the event of a patient emergency. These will be outlined in a future segment.

Please contact us for the "formula" on how to make a great and inexpensive First Aid Kit for dental offices:

email: blog@dyanamicdentalsafety.com Phone: (888) 669-8846 x701

Air/Water Syringe

One of the most overlooked areas of contamination in the dental operatory is the air/water syringe. As we look at this item, the buttons have a slight raised quality over the body of the syringe. These areas are some of the most difficult to disinfect. Due to this "flaw" the use of barriers which protect the buttons and the area directly beneath them is recommended. This will promote the ease of cleaning this instrument and elevate the level of infection control in the operatory and the office.

Welcome to The Dental Safety Compliance Blog

Hello!

Welcome to The Dental Safety Compliance Blog. The purpose of this forum is to share information and practical tips to help dental health care professionals maintain regulatory compliance in their offices. This includes, but is not limited to compliance with:

- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidelines
- State Health Department Regulations
- Dental Board Regulations

In addition, we are truly concerned with the health and safety of dental health care professionals. The health care sector is now acknowledged to be one of the nation’s most dangerous industries. Healthcare workers are at risk of serious injury and illness from a myriad of hazards including biological (e.g. bloodborne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C), chemical (e.g. gluteraldehyde, nitrous oxide, etc.), ergonomic (e.g. back strain), physical (e.g. radiation, latex allergy, violence) and psychosocial (e.g. workplace stress).

Our overall hope is to exchange information to help make all our dental practices SAFE for both our patients and staff.

We greatly look forward to YOUR active participation in this forum!

This blog is sponsored by Dynamic Dental Safety (dds), which is a safety and risk management company that is available to help you comply with all of your safety compliance needs. These services are provided on-site by dentists and dental healthcare professionals with over 30 years experience in the field.
For additional information, please visit http://www.dynamicdentalsafety.com.