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5 Infection Control Mistakes To Avoid -- Part 1

5 Infection Control Mistakes To Avoid -- Part 1
by Kara Vavrosky

Patient safety and infection control are top priorities for hygienists. Surprisingly, there are many dental offices that do not adhere to the latest safety and infection control protocols. Some dental professionals continue to use outdated or ineffective infection control methods because they have always used them, while other dental professionals simply skip over required infection control training.

Below are five infection control mistakes you could be making without realizing that you are endangering patients and fellow staff.

Mistake #1: Failing to sterilize slow-speed handpieces between each patient.

Many people assume that they can disinfect slow-speed handpieces with a surface disinfectant because slow-speed handpieces are categorized as semi-critical devices. Unfortunately, this is not the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handpieces should be treated differently than the majority of semi-critical devices. The CDC states, “Studies have shown that handpieces can become contaminated internally with patient materials and the next patient may be exposed to potentially infectious materials (2,3,5).”

• Future patients may be exposed to infectious materials if handpieces are not sterilized. (2,3,5).
• The CDC states that handpieces should not be used unless they can be heat-sterilized
• Accordingly, hygienists should not use handpieces that cannot be removed from the dental unit. (7).