Category:

Basic Guide To Infection Prevention and Control in Dentistry

By
Dr. Caroline Pankhurst and Dr. Wil Coulter

Course Description

The Basic Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Dentistry is a practical guide for all members of the dental team. It offers clear explanations of the key issues and concepts, an orientation of the evidence base and legal framework as well as providing a step-by-step guide to the safe running of a dental practice.

Chapters cover key topics, namely: communicable diseases; occupational health and immunization; decontamination of dental equipment; surgery disinfection; sharp safe working; hand hygiene and barrier personal protection; dental unit waterlines, clinical waste management and pathology specimen handling.

About Authors

Dr. Caroline Pankhurst, BSc, BDS, MSc, PhD, MRCPath, is a former Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Dental Institue of King’s College, London and a Specialist in Oral Microbiology.

Dr. Wil Coulter, BSc, BDS, PGCert Ed, MSc, PhD, FRCPath, is a Consultant/Reader in Oral Microbiology in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen’s University, Belfast and the Belfast Hospital Trust.

The authors are dentally qualified medical microbiologists and members of the Royal College of Pathologists with extensive experience in the field of infection control in dentistry. They have published a number of scientific studies in the field, the findings of which have been presented at numerous conferences. Drs Pankhurst and Coulter serve on government advisory bodies on infection control and decontamination, and teach dentists, nurses, therapists and hygienists at both pre- and post-qualification level.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course you’ll be able to:

  1. Define cross-infection, hazard and standard precautions.
  2. List the five stages of a risk assessment.
  3. Compare regulations and approval codes of practice and advice.
  4. List the safety regulations for autoclaves.
  5. Discuss the causes of human failure.
  6. Compare pathogen and opportunistic pathogen.
  7. Discuss the routes of infection transmission (Figure 2.1).
  8. Compare direct and indirect spread of infection.
  9. Discuss the three blood-borne viruses of primary concern.
  10. Discuss the organisms which may be transmitted by aerosols.
  11. Compare active failures and latent conditions.
  12. Describe the two classes of products for occupational immunization against hepatitis B.
  13. Explain the three classifications of exposure-prone procedures.
  14. List several routes of transmission of blood-borne pathogens.
  15. List when most sharp injuries happen.
  16. List the steps for first aid when a sharps injury occurs.
  17. Describe the HCV positive patient.
  18. Describe the accident log book.
  19. Compare resident and transient microorganisms.
  20. Discuss data regarding healthcare associated infections.
  21. Discuss properties of hand-cleaning agents and hand washing techniques as described in Table 5.1 and Table 5.2.
  22. Compare advantages and disadvantages of alcohol hand rubs.
  23. Describe the Ayliffe hand washing technique.
  24. Discuss the guidelines for using gloves and the types of gloves available.
  25. Compare delayed and immediate hypersensitivity.
  26. Compare a surgical face mask and a particulate respirator mask.
  27. List the sequence for donning and removing PPE.
  28. State guideline for wearing uniforms.
  29. Describe plastic aprons.
  30. Discuss cleaning, disinfection and sterilization.
  31. State the basic requirements for the dirty room and clean room.
  32. Compare manual and mechanical cleaning of instruments.
  33. Describe the three types of sterilizers.
  34. Discuss requirements for sterilization, installation and validation.
  35. Describe the various types of water.
  36. Describe the automatic control test.
  37. List several steps to loading and operating a sterilizer.
  38. List several important points for dental design.
  39. Compare an aerosol and a splatter.
  40. Define a biofilm and list the main contaminants in dental unit waterlines.
  41. Discuss methods to reduce biofilms.
  42. List examples of four types of waste.
  43. Compare infectious clinical waste and anatomical waste and teeth.
  44. Discuss the method of treatment and disposal for several types of waste according to Table 10.2.
  45. Describe the World Health Organization triple packing system.