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…
In conjunction with the onset of flu season, in December 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a feature article to remind people to wash their hands often to protect themselves and their friends and families…
Safe parenteral injection practices are intended to prevent transmission of infectious diseases between one patient and another, or between a patient and dental personnel during preparation and injection of medications. Dental personnel most frequently perform parenteral injections when administering local…
The Organization for Safety and Asepsis (OSAP) is holding its annual Dental Infection Control Awareness Month (DICAM) during the entire month of September. OSAP’s goal during this campaign is to “to build patient trust, safety, awareness and distribute education of…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated May 5th, 2018 as World Hand Hygiene Day. Both WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer resources for healthcare providers to practice effective hand hygiene to prevent and control…
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that an alarming 30% increase in emergency department visits due to opioid overdoses throughout the United States from July 2016 through September 2017. We ALL need to take…
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…
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…
With flu season upon us, dental staff should be screening patients for aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) such as influenza, measles, and tuberculosis prior to treating patients. In California, Cal/OSHA's Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard requires healthcare providers, including dental offices, to…
