Beginning in October 2014, the New Jersey Department of Health investigated and confirmed fifteen patient transmissions of bacterial endocarditis after oral surgery treatment at the same oral surgery practice. During the investigation, breaches of recommended infection control standards were identified…
Sterilization Monitoring Regular sterilizer monitoring in a dental office, when properly implemented, is an important part of infection control verification, and includes a combination of process parameters to evaluate the sterilizing conditions and the sterilizer’s effectiveness. Biological monitoring is the…
In December 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule banning 24 ingredients found in over-the-counter (OTC) antispetics used for hand hygiene in the healthcare industry. The final rule becomes effective on December 20, 2018. According…
On September 19, 2017, Governor Brown in California signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1277 into law, which requires the Dental Board of California (DBC) to amend the regulations on the minimum standards for infection control to require water or other methods…
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends, that all personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns, lab coats, gloves, masks, and protective eyewear or face shield, to be worn…
Under universal/standard precautions, OSHA deems that all teeth must be assumed to be potentially infectious. As such, they must be handled safely, to prevent the potential for occupational transmission of disease to employees who come into contact with them. However,…
All surface disinfectants, i.e. antimicrobials, sold in the United States are regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) because antimicrobials are in fact pesticides. Under FIFRA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating,…
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…
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…
Cold sterilants are chemical solutions used for the purpose of destroying all forms of microbial life including bacterial spores and are used to process heat-sensitive critical and semi-critical dental instruments for reuse. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible…
