Infection Prevention and Control Systems – Post Covid-19

Infection Control Training and Education

Your team and your patients are no doubt feeling a little nervous about dental visits now. All clinical staff members need to understand the principles that are outlined in regulatory documents and to be able to apply them practically. Education is critically important to ensure all clinical team members can apply the basics of infection prevention and to properly carry out the day to day tasks they are responsible for.

A team managed approach is fundamental to successful Infection Prevention and Control outcomes so take time to develop team-focused thinking. Virtual Practice Training can get the whole team on the same page with your policies and procedures ensuring compliance for the practice.

The Virtual Visit is suitable for all members of the dental team. It is presented in an interactive way and in the privacy of your practice to encourage open discussion and questions specific to your work environment.

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Evaluate staff knowledge and understanding of relevant documents focusing on policies and procedures for your practice.

Standards and guidelines require IPC training and education to be carried out as part of an induction process and routinely updated with refresher training. A documented Training Register should be kept up to date and maintained.

Now is the perfect time to engage your team in Prime Practice Infection Control Training so everyone is motivated and ready to continue delivering exceptional dentistry and be confidently compliant.

Implement these simple tasks to achieve an organised sterilisation room

1. There are some simple things that you can take care of that will help return it to better health. Clear and clean benchtops are the goal. Even the best sterilisation rooms tend to get a little cluttered and disorganised in the hustle and bustle of everyday dental life.
2. Re-organise and remove clutter. Items that are not used every day can be stored in cupboards or shelves, so bench space is clear of dust-collecting clutter.
3. Take an inventory of the solutions, liquids, and chemicals you have stored in your cupboards. Many practices have a few products that are no longer being used and often some that are out of date. Check on how to dispose of them safely and throw them out!
4. Check instructions and dilution rates for solutions in use are documented correctly in your IPC manual. Ensure there is adequate signage with this information inside cupboard doors or up on walls (laminated) and check that the information is correct.

Re-organise your sterilisation documentation

When things are busy the tendency to store records haphazardly and ‘fix later’ is common. Take this time to organise your record keeping. Tidy up your intranet folders. Make sure that your Batch Control Identification (BCI) and sterilisation records are stored in a way that facilitates the easy retrieval of information.

Every team member should understand the principles of why BCI is recorded and be able to demonstrate recalling sterilisation record information if required. Review the process with each staff member to ensure this important area is understood.

Cleaning Best Practices – Infection Control in Dental Environment

The first thought for most people in downtime is to have a good clean up. That’s a great idea but now you have time to take it one step further. Think about what is not routinely cleaned or gets cleaned sporadically and is not part of a normal routine. Use this time to create a ‘housekeeping’ record and schedule.

The areas of housekeeping that need to be taken care of include stock cupboards and storage areas, inside cupboards, damp dusting sills, reception area surfaces, fixtures, and fittings as a minimum. Cleaning should be organised into a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. Accountability by signing off once cleaning is completed should be added, recorded, and retained as part of your compliance documentation records.

Idle time is hard for dental clinicians – we know. No one likes seeing white space in their appointment book. Proactive, positive activities will keep us focused during this challenging time.

Infection Prevention and Control will play a pivotal role in our ‘new normal’ and any actions we can take now in preparation will make potentially additional requirements easier to implement.

In a world where “PPE” and “Aerosol Generating Procedures” have become public conversation topics, patients are much more aware of the required precautions and will be actively enquiring.

Our Virtual In-Practice Training will provide all the training needed for you and your team to ensure your practice performs optimally. And translates into enhancing your patient acquisition strategies.

Now is the time. Get Safe. Be Safe. Stay Safe.

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