In late August, over 400 dental practices were affected in a ransomware cyberattack against DDS Safe, a service from The Digital Dental Record that facilitates secure data backups for dental practice computer systems. Unfortunately, scenarios like this are becoming all too…
In late August, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a new Draft Recommendation Statement entitled Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening, which calls for screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in all adults between the ages of 18-79 years…
On August 23, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement addressing the first suspected fatality in Illinois linked to severe lung disease caused by e-cigarette use, or vaping: “This tragic death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks…
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…
