Date |
ArticleType |
1/16/2017 |
Insights |
Are Dental Professionals Using Safety Glasses While Rendering Care? |
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Are Dental Professionals Using Safety Glasses While Rendering Care? by Kandyce M. A'See, RDH, MS, and M. Suzanne Mathis, RDH, MS Compared to medicine, dentistry has been slow to consider how patient safety practices can be improved for several reasons. First, the risks of mortality and significant morbidity associated with the practice of medicine are far greater than they are with dentistry. In addition, the frequency and severity of adverse events in hospitals have led to campaigns by health authorities, making medical health professionals more aware of certain patient safety needs than dental professionals. In contrast, dental care is much less structured than hospital care, and most dentists practice in isolation. Many dental professionals are unaware of the safety culture. Nevertheless, incidents can occur in dentistry and can lead to serious consequences. According to one study, almost 6% of iatrogenic injuries in dentistry involve patients' eyes. Data from the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS), a voluntary national reporting system set up in 2003 in England and Wales, was analyzed for all incidents of iatrogenic harm in dentistry from January 2009 to December 2009. This data showed that out of 210 incidents of iatrogenic harm to dental patients, 12 injuries involved the eyes. Eye protection is part of multiple guidelines on infection control and safety in dental practices. In the "Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings 2003," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires protective eyewear for both practitioner and patient: "Protective eyewear with solid side shields or a face shield should be worn by dental health-care personnel during procedures and patient care activities likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood or body fluids. Protective eyewear for patients shields their eyes from spatter or debris generated during dental procedures. In addition, the British Dental Association (BDA) published an advice sheet called "Infection Control in Dentistry," which also requires eye protection for both clinician and patient: "Operators and close support clinical staff must protect their eyes against foreign bodies, splatter, and aerosols that may arise during operative dentistry: During scaling (manual and ultrasonic), using rotary instruments, cutting and use of wires, and cleaning instruments. Ideally, protective glasses should have side protection. Patients' eyes must always be protected against possible injury; tinted glasses may also protect against glare from the operating light. Read full article on RDH.
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