In response to growing alarm surrounding the monkeypox virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an informational website covering monkeypox, as well as posted online resources about the virus, including information for clinicians and FAQs. What…
In September, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1491 into law, which among other things, makes it unprofessional conduct for a dentists to “use water, or other methods used for irrigation, that are not sterile or that do not contain recognized…
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…
In March 2018, the New Hampshire Board of Dental Examiners suspended a dentist from practicing dentistry for professional misconduct for “failure to follow the current guidelines of the American Dental Association” for dental infection control. According to an investigation by…
The abuse and diversion of prescription opioids is a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription opioids caused more than 14,000 opioid deaths in the United States…
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…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a series of webinars to educate stakeholders on the agency’s new recommendations for prescribing opioid drugs for chronic pain. The first webinar will be held on June 22nd, from 2:00-3:00…
One factor commonly overlooked in choosing a surface disinfectant is the overall safety of the product to the environment and to staff members who are exposed to it daily over many years. Stronger, i.e. more toxic, disinfectants are not necessarily…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on April 8th confirming the transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus among 20 pediatric dental patients from contaminated dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). The outbreak was caused by biofilm-contaminated water in…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new resources for infection prevention and control in dental settings. Entitled Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, with a March 2016 publication date,…
