North Texas Dentistry Special Issue 2020 NTD SP ISSUE 2020 DE | Page 20

Decontaminate all high-touch surfaces and common surfaces diligently between patients in the treatment area and the common non-clinical areas. Higher class disinfectant options include hypochlorous acid (HOCl) at 5,000+ ppm or an accelerated hydrogen peroxide. Decontaminate your mobile point-ofsale unit (credit card machine) and counter surfaces after every patient. Clean the dental unit water system with a shock agent monthly to control biofilms with hypochlorous acid or a chlorine dioxide product. In an emergency, if you have to use a handpiece to section a bridge, use full-strength CHG irrigant, either with a monojet syringe or through the self-contained reservoir bottle along with HVE to reduce aerosols. Masks and Respirators Left: Disposable KN95 respirator Right: The inside or facial surface of the disposable KN95 respirator showing the margins that adapt to the face Decontaminate your mobile point-of-sale unit and counter surfaces after every patient. Left: A reusable P100 respirator with two disposable filters attached Right: The facial surface of the reusable P100 respirator showing the flexible silicone beading that can adapt better to the face, providing a better fit Taking baby steps for the next few weeks During patient care, N-95 masks after a fit test are recommended. Since these masks are intended to be single-use disposable but are not in stock, many guidelines suggest re-use for about a day. There are other reusable and reprocessable mask shells with disposable filters, such as those used in P100 respirators. These respirator shells can be wiped down with an intermediate-level disinfectant between patients. The filters may be used for up to one day at most. P100 respirators have a better face fit/seal than most N-95 respirators. Gowns are to be worn over scrubs or street clothes and should be changed and laundered when soiled. Good housekeeping protocols should be followed, and conducted more frequently. After the day’s clinical duties, when you get home, do not come in physical contact with people at home before you put your scrubs/street clothes in the washer and take a shower. During these critical periods of opening up the practice, maintaining social distancing in public is a safer bet. Remember, even when our region or state shows fewer COVID-19 cases and lower mortality rates, we still need to maintain the highest standards of infection control. Stay safe, be pragmatic, and start slowly. Use your knowledge and experience to protect yourself, your staff, and your patients. Always keep up with your infection control and occupational safety training and utilize the information to ensure a safe practice. Dr. Raghu Puttaiah is a public health dentist and trained as a fellow in the Johnson & Johnson Infectious Disease Control Program in Dentistry. He retired from his position as tenured professor at TAMU College of Dentistry in 2019. He is a recognized expert in dental safety and provides training for dental offices nationwide on infection control, HIPAA, occupational safety and OSHA through his company OSHA4Dental LLC (www.osha4dental.com). Dr. Puttaiah can be contacted at [phone] or by email at [email protected]. 20 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com