Dental practice compliance resources covering OSHA regulations, infection control standards, sterilization requirements, and California dental board guidelines for dental professionals.
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…
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…
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…
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…
For the first time in 145 years, the United States Surgeon General issued a plea specifically to healthcare providers calling them to action, and urging them to help end the country’s opioid epidemic. The call-to-action letter was published in the…
Hand hygiene in a dental office is critical to preventing disease transmission, and must be performed frequently throughout the day. Dental healthcare personnel must wash their hands with plain soap and water at the start and end of each workday,…
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) recently announced that International Infection Prevention Week is scheduled for October 16-22, 2016. The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness and to promote infection control and prevention in…
In California, dental offices with ten or more employees that utilize substances on California’s Proposition 65 List must post up to three separate signs notifying employees and visitors of the hazards. The three signs are for restorative materials, nitrous oxide,…
