Documented Infection Transmission from DUWLs In April 2016, twenty pediatric dental patients had to be hospitalized due to infection transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus from contaminated dental unit water used during pulpotomies. And from March-August 2016, 58 pediatric patients became infected…
In an effort to identify and deter prescription drug abuse and diversion, in September 2016, California Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 482 into law. SB 482, which takes effect on July 1, 2017, requires all healthcare providers who are…
Last month, the California Department of Justice and the California Department of Consumer Affairs issued a joint notification to all affected parties that the CURES 1.0 system will no longer be available after Saturday, March 4, 2017. The old system…
For California dentists who’ve ever lost sleep worrying about compliance with state, federal and Dental Board regulations! When you order OSHA Review, you’ll understand why dentists in California have relied on their subscriptions for more than twenty years. You’ll receive…
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), the White House’s memorandum dated January 20, 2017, to freeze all or new pending regulations includes the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule, which would require dental offices to install amalgam separators. The…
It is that time of year again, time for employers to post a copy of OSHA’s Form 300A Summary, which summarizes job-related injuries and illnesses logged during 2016. The summary must be displayed in a common area where notices to…
In October, 2016, the ADA adopted a new ADA Statement on the Use of Opioids in the Treatment of Dental Pain, which provides recommendations for dentists on prescribing opioids to patients. In addition to specific practice recommendations, the statement urges…
Effective January 18, 2017, powdered surgeon’s gloves, powdered patient examination gloves, and absorbable powder for lubricating a surgeon’s glove will be banned from use in the United States. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these devices “present an…
On December 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rule on effluent limitations for dental offices to reduce the discharge of mercury and other metals from dental offices down the sewer drain to publically owned treatment works…
On November 28 and November 30, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of for Civil Rights in Action (OCR) released multiple alerts warning HIPAA-covered entities and their business associates about a phishing email claiming to…
