1. Registered Dental Assistant: Infection Control Basics
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By Janice Lewis

2. Abbreviations DHCP-Dental Health Care Personnel
EPA-Environmental Protection Agency
FDA-Food and Drug Administration
HBV-Hepatitis B Virus
IC-Infection Control
ICC/ICRF-Infection Control Committee/Review Function
OPIM-Other Potentially Infectious Materials
PPE- Personal Protective Equipment

3. Rationales of Infection Control
Observe Universal Precautions
Practice Standard Precautions
Maintain a chain of asepsis
To protect yourself and the health of your patients, every patient you encounter should be treated as if he or she is infectious. Prior to, during, and after each procedure, it is important to practice techniques that will prevent the spread of infection such as use of PPE and body substance isolation techniques. Practicing aseptic techniques will prevent cross contamination from one patient to the next and from one health care worker to the next.

4. Regulators of Infection Control
Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
Regulates manufacturing and labeling of medications and medical devices.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Regulates the safety and effectiveness of disinfecting and sterilizing solutions.
Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP)
National organization of health care workers from all health industries.
Meets to cover topics of infection control and hazard communication

5. Regulators of Infection Control
Many organizations make protecting you and the patients a priority.
The ADA:
Makes recommendations through various media such as journals, the internet, newsletters, etc.
The CDC describes:
Body substance isolation (BSI)
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
OSHA:
Defines potentially infectious materials
Establishes bloodborne pathogens standards
Is the regulating body to ensure that health care facilities are protecting their employees from exposure to infectious diseases or materials.

6. Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA)
Four step process for exposure determination
Step 1: Type of employee
Dentist, D.A., Hygienist, Lab Tech
Receptionist, Coordinating assistant
Accountant, Insurance agent
Step 2: How often at risk
Step 3: Manual developed
Step 4: Written policy
Training cannot consist solely of videos or interactive computer programs. Dental practices must make sure employees understand completely through hands-on interaction.

7. OSHA Compliance
A dental office will be investigated for compliance if:
A complaint has been filed
The office has eleven or more employees
Invited by the office
All states are regulated by OSHA standards.
Twenty-four states are regulated also through a state agency and are often more demanding than the federal standards.
The rest of the states are administered through regional branches of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration

8. Chain of Infection

9. Breaking the Chain of Infection

10. References
Dental Assisting: A Comprehensive Approach (3rd. Ed.) by Phinney and Halstead. Thomson /Delmar Learning, 2008