We often get questions from our clients about dental licensees’ continuing education (CE) requirements for license renewal by the Dental Board of California (DBC). Read on for the DBC’s requirements, which can be found in Sections 1015-1017 of Title 16 of the California…
Most dental offices do not generate “red-bag” biohazardous waste, also known as regulated medical waste. Cal/OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Standard (Title 8 CCR Section 5193) and the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH’s) Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA) each have a unique,…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule, to take effect on August 21st, which will prohibit healthcare facilities, including dental offices, to “sewer” pharmaceutical hazardous waste. The term “sewering” refers to disposing of pharmaceutical hazardous waste by dumping it…
If a chemical spill occurs in your dental office, it is important to have written instructions on how to handle such an event. If personnel and/or patients are injured during the spill, then emergency medical services must be activated. If…
A cohort study in the May 2019 issue of JAMA Network Open found that 81% of prescriptions for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental visits did not follow current guidelines. Compared with previous recommendations, there are currently relatively few patient subpopulations for whom antibiotic…
Both OSHA and state dental boards require dental personnel to adhere to infection control standards in the office, including the use personal protective equipment (PPE). Most people know what should be worn to protect themselves from bodily fluids – exam…
Proper hand hygiene is considered to be the single most important measure for preventing pathogen transmission in healthcare settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two hand hygiene methods in healthcare settings: Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-95% ethanol): Put…
The compliance date for existing dental offices to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) effluent limitations to reduce the sewer discharge of mercury and other metals is a little over a year away. On July 14, 2020, existing dental offices…
Tobacco use and dependence is one of the most important public health issues in the United States. It is a chronic disease that often requires repeated interventions and multiple attempts to quit. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking…
Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch an infected surface and…
