Welcome to this month’s blog. Today, at Hartwell Dentistry, we will be looking at Infection Control  in a Dental practice and standards which need to be followed.

What is Infection control?

Infection Control in a dental surgery is the prevention of transmission of viruses and bacteria from patient to patient, from dentist to patient, dental staff to patient and patient to dental staff and dentists.

These viruses/bacteria can be  spread in a surgery by : direct contact, via instruments, inhaled, ingested, or splashed onto skin.

The spread of viruses/bacteria can be reduced/controlled by:

• Good personal hygiene practices- hand washing protocols and procedures.
• Using personal barrirer protection- gloves, masks, gowns and glasses.
• Using disposable products- such as paper towels.

Standard of Infection Control policys.

At Hartwell Dentistry we follow a high standard of Infection Control policy, which includes

• Regular hand hygiene before and after each patient.
• Use of gloves, mask, eye protection and gowns.
• Use of environmental barriers- plastic wrap and plastic bags on dental chairs and equipment.
• Appropriate handling of wastes.
• Appropriate handling of sharps.
• Appropriate reprocessing of reusable instruments.
• Effective environmental cleaning.
• Appropriate management of spills.
• All treatment rooms cleaned to a high standard.

In next weeks blog, we will be talking about the guidlines, in house audits and where to find the offical standards of Infection Control.