Infection Control And The Dental Clinic Essay

Dental hygienists examine for signs of abnormalities oral diseases, for example decay or gingivitis, then they will provide treatment if necessary. They play an important role in evaluate patients’ oral health and interpret findings for the dentists. Also, Dental Hygienists educate patients how to keep their oral healthy. It is obvious that Dental Hygienists have to work by hands all the time; therefore, they are required to keep their hand totally clean and get them sterilized before and after each patients. They have to wear protection tools including safety glasses, masks, and gloves to prevent infection for themselves and patients (Bureau of Labor

Infection control is a central concept to every practice of health care providers. Its main objective is to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases from both patients and health personnel (Martin et al., 2010). In dental clinic, infection control is a continuous concern for its professionals. They have to contact patients routinely and be exposed to their blood, saliva, dental plaque and pus that may contain infectious pathogens. It is important for the dental professionals to treat these fluids as if they are infectious and special precautions must be taken to handle them. In this essay, I will highlight the scope of infection control practices in dental clinics and the ways through which infectious microorganisms are transmitted

There are two important things to do in a dental office in order to prevent cross infection. These two forms are sterilization and disinfection. According to the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration before either of these forms can be used you have to clean the instruments. This can be done either by hand or by using an ultrasonic cleaner.

It is important that we have this knowledge and constantly build on it because there still isn’t any valid ground. We can say “we think this can happen” but as more studies come out we can change that thought or idea into a valid explanation. Although you can’t convince every person into believing something, having proof behind your explanation is going to be more persuasive than just stating what you’ve heard.

While shadowing my fellow upper cohorts during the clinic I had made many observations. Unfortunately I was only able to shadow one clinic, although I observed a lot. Marie was the first student that I was shadowing, she was the CA for the day. We started by stocking the cabinets with the necessities. Marie and I then took the dental tools out of the machines that cleaned, sterilized, and dried them. I was shown that there are two sides in the lab. What I mean by this is that the left side is a dirty side which you should always wear gloves so that you are always protected from the bacteria and germs that the tools carry. Everything on this side has to be handled carefully and you must always wash and sanitize your hands when you are through. The right side is the clean side where the tools and dental accessories are kept so that they stay clean and sterile. Next I was with Jennifer, although she had no patients that day due to a

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As dental hygienists, we will see a variety of patients in our dental office. Each patient will present with a unique medical history. It is essential to know how to treat our patients to the best of our ability, so that they are comfortable and cared for throughout the entire treatment process. They might have a certain disability, disorder, or disease that may alter or affect how we treat them.

The patient was keen to get her oral hygiene up to a good standard and prevent any

A dental team is usually composed of a dentist, dental assistant, and dental hygienist. This effective and efficient team works in unison to meet the needs of patients. Each member plays a vital role; specifically, the dental hygienist plays an integral role in helping patients achieve and maintain optimal oral health. A dental hygienist’s main approach in patient care is disease prevention. They implement this approach by identifying and treating oral diseases.

Burke J.P. (2003). Infection control- a problem for patient safety. New England Journal Medicine, 348(7):651-656.

Diseases can also be transmitted by a mechanical or biological vector, an animal (typically an arthropod) that carries the disease from one host to another.

From a very early age, I had a natural affinity for teeth. I wanted to know how they form, and differ in other individuals. As a toddler, I would grab hold of the staff’s teeth at my local daycare and attempt my own version of a dental inspection. It came quite apparent to my mother that either I had a serious fetish or I was finding a passion for a future profession. Even though my mother loved my curious personality, she wanted me to understand that there are boundaries that I must adhere too. Over time, I stopped playing with stranger’s mouths and started using my hands for more important duties. On Saturdays, after soccer practice, my father would drive us to food banks to volunteer our time. During my time as a volunteer, I did such activities such as feeding the homeless, packing boxes of food for families in need, and assisting the building of homes with habitat humanity. Thankfully, I could continue my development as a community leader throughout college and adulthood.

Infection control within a healthcare facility is the prevention of the spread of many microorganisms from patient to patient, patient to a member of staff and also from the staff member to the patient that are in there care. The World Health Organisation have defined healthcare associated infections as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other healthcare facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. Every healthcare facility from hospitals to general practitioners office should have a designated member of staff or a team of people who ensure that the infection control procedures are abided by and adhered to at all times in order to protect both staff and patients. More than 300,000 people each year are affected by a healthcare associated infection and the cost of treatment for these patients is over £3,000 and there is also the cost of treatment after discharge.

Lastly the most severe dental disease that comes with not practicing good oral hygiene is periodontal disease. If it is left to itself and not treated, it will lead to tooth loss. In order to fix periodontal disease, a hygienist needs to place a probe in the gap of your gums and insert fake gums to keep bacteria from going in the hole. There are many factors that cause periodontal disease, but the main cause is bacteria. Without proper home care, your chances of getting it increase. The other factors vary and can affect the health of your gums. The most severe case of not having good oral hygiene is periodontal disease, and it is very painful.

Importance of careful assessment of oral cavity for suspicious lesions for early detection of multiple myeloma.1