Guidelines, best practices, and options available

Now that the CDC aggregates and reports COVID-related hospitalizations instead of COVID transmissions, dental professionals could be at risk. By the time a dental practice is alerted to a COVID outbreak in their area, transmissions could already be at concerning levels. 

Follow These Steps to Achieve Sterility Assurance for Your Table-Top Steam Sterilizers

Routine sterilizer efficacy monitoring is a critical element of your practice’s infection prevention and control protocol. Steam sterilization is, of course, a routine part of instrument reprocessing, and it’s important to ensure your sterilizer is functioning properly for every load. As a result, there are certain steps you should be taking monthly, daily, and per each load to achieve sterility assurance.

Answering Your Most Frequently Asked Questions

Hand hygiene has always been a critical part of infection prevention in health care settings, and the experience of living and working through a pandemic has only underscored its importance. However, despite the extra attention on infection prevention, the CDC reports that, “on average healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.”

Three Key Insights Every New Dental Graduate Should Know

Students at dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting schools have very full plates. Whether in the classroom or in-clinic, there is a lot to learn in a relatively short amount of time. But one area where dental students sometimes get a break is in instrument reprocessing.

Revisiting Critical Updates That Address Infection Risks

At this time last year, we were all collectively reeling from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing with the confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety of managing a new virus. And, in the midst of an unprecedented shutdown that nearly ground dentistry to a complete halt, practices pivoted on the fly to implement new infection prevention and control procedures that would enable them to continue practicing safely.

The Pandemic Demonstrated That Dental Assistants Are Indispensable (But We Already Knew That)

Have you thanked a dental assistant lately? Now’s your chance. The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) dubbed the first full week of March “Dental Assistants Recognition Week.”

Of course, dental assistants have earned our gratitude all year round. Dental assistants are the hardworking heroes who keep practices running smoothly and patients happy.