Biofilms are microbial communities that form on the walls of the small-bore plastic tubing that delivers water from the dental unit through the dental handpieces, scalers, and air-water syringes to the patient. Currently, no quantitative water quality standards specific to…
Effective August 13, 2014, businesses with 20 or more employees located or doing business in San Francisco must comply with the city’s new Fair Chance Ordinance. On February 4, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the new local law…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory notifying dental practitioners to take care when using dental dispensers on multiple patients. Multiple-use dental dispensers, also called dental “syringes” are devices used to deliver various dental products such as impression…
We have received calls in the past from dentists asking if they are required to pay for a sign-language interpreter for hearing-impaired patients. The short answer to the question is – it depends. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires dentists…
Do you know OSHA requires dental offices to have written OSHA safety plans in place that specify how various hazards in the office will be controlled to protect employees? Employers, including dental offices, must have these customized written plans onsite…
The July/August issue of OSHA Review, providing an update on HIPAA requirements, has been mailed. Enclosed with the issue is an informational document that answers dentists frequently asked questions about HIPAA. Note this issue is worth 2 CE credits toward…
On July 1, 2014, the first of two minimum wage increases planned for the next two years will go into effect in California. The minimum wage, currently at $8 per hour, will increase to $9 per hour on July 1,…
OSHA requires employers to properly train their employees to do their jobs safely. The premise, for all employers in the United States, is to ensure that employees are trained on the hazards associated with their job, as well as on…
OSHA requires, at a minimum, dental offices to follow the concept of universal precautions to control occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the adherence to standard precautions. The term universal…
All dental practices in California must post a provide notification that Dental Board licensees in California are under the jurisdiction of the Dental Board of California (DBC). For practices with registered dental hygienists (RDHs) on staff, an additional notification stating…
