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Arm Yourself with the Power of Knowledge

Rick

Updated: May 20, 2021

Infection control has been receiving a lot of extra attention of late, but it has always been a concern in dental offices. There have been a lot of updates specific to Covid-19, but in order to appreciate the changes, you should have a firm grasp of the existing rules. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with what's been published to date. Add these links to your favorites:


The complete 2008 CDC guidelines for healthcare facilities:

The section pertaining to sterilization and disinfection (as would be applicable to a dental office) starts around page 68.


The 2003 guide specific to dental offices can be found here:


The 2016 "summary" of guidelines for dental offices (wherein they introduced the new rule that all handpieces including motors must be sterilized between patients):


In 2018 the CDC published a "clarification" stating that electric motors did not need to be sterilized between patients, just air-driven motors:


As you have likely noticed, all but the last link are to pdf documents so you can download and peruse at your leisure. if you suffer from insomnia, the 151 page complete guidelines from 2008 are highly conducive to a good night's rest. ;)


In all seriousness, knowledge is power, you should be able to get through all of the above in an hour or so and should do so as soon as practical.






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The information contained herein is for educational purposes and for the benefit of licensed health care professionals. Much equipment in the dental office is under high pressure, carries high voltage electricity and/or can generate extreme temperatures.  Care should always be taken when performing repairs or maintenance. Under normal circumstances, equipment should be turned off, depressurized, and disconnected from power before performing service. It is the responsibility of the end-user to recognize and exercise appropriate caution.  All content copyright Dental-Techguru LLC.

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