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Best Practices For Stopping The Spread Of Infections In Dental Settings

Best Practices For Stopping The Spread Of Infections In Dental Settings
by Sara Bell-West, PhD

Today’s dental practices need environmental infection prevention strategies that can address a range of threats, from bloodborne pathogens like viral hepatitis to multi-drug resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), to seasonal challenges like influenza virus, norovirus, and the bacteria and viruses that cause the common cold, all of which may contaminate environmental surfaces in dental practices.

Because infectious diseases are frequently transmitted via touch, hand hygiene is an important first line of defense against the spread of infections in dental practices. But bacteria and other microorganisms can survive on environmental surfaces for extended periods and be spread by touch or cross-contamination to patients, healthcare workers, and other surfaces, making surface disinfection critical. For example, MRSA can survive on surfaces anywhere from 7 days to 7 months.1

Contaminated surfaces can re-contaminate clean hands and further contribute to the transmission of infections, meaning thorough hand hygiene and daily cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces are both imperative to preventing the spread of infections.

Surface contamination is not only an issue in the operatory. Compliant cleaning and disinfection of surfaces is important throughout the dental practice, including in the reception and waiting-room areas. In a recent study published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene, surface sampling from dental practices in Arizona and Missouri isolated bacteria from environmental surfaces inside and outside patient care areas.2 In another study, researchers recovered MRSA colonies from light switches, computer keyboards, and dental chair push-buttons in the span of a single day.3 Researchers have found that other germ hotspots within reception and waiting-room areas include office door knobs, office phones, and countertops.

Selecting the Right Products

The first step in implementing an effective environmental infection prevention strategy for your dental practice is selecting the right products. With hundreds of surface disinfectants available, it can seem challenging to identify the best products to suit your practice’s needs. It is important for dental practices to select US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered surface disinfectants designed specifically for healthcare facilities, with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms that can be transmitted via contaminated surfaces.

For dental practices, Clorox Healthcare recommends selecting healthcare surface disinfectants with EPA-registered disinfecting claims against MRSA, influenza viruses, and bloodborne pathogens. To protect patients and staff from the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, we also recommend that dental providers refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for infection prevention and control in dental settings and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens guidelines.

Read full article on Dentistry Today.