Infection Control Paper

627 Words3 Pages
Working in a dental office involves many tasks and responsibilities. Infection control is one of the most important responsibilities of all staff members in the office. Infection control helps to protect patients and staff members from disease transmission. The techniques used to prevent disease in the office include methods of sterilization and disinfection, using proper PPEs, understanding how disease can be transmitted, and following OSHA regulations and standards. Staff members of the office can ensure the safety of themselves and patients from disease transmission with the knowledge of the procedures and purposes of infection control. Sterilization is the destruction of endospores of all microorganisms. Sterilization is done by using an autoclave or cold sterile. Autoclave uses steam and pressure to kill endospores on instruments used during dental procedures. The instruments that can be put in the autoclave are put into bags that have chemical indicators that are green and then change to purple when sterilization is complete. An autoclave takes 3 to 12 minutes to complete a cycle depending on if the instruments are wrapped or not. Instruments that cannot be put in the autoclave are put into a cold sterile because they cannot withstand the heat of the autoclave and would break; such as some plastics and all glass items. Cold sterile uses glutaraldehyde, a chemical solution, to sterilize the instruments. This process usually takes 8 to 12 hours. Disinfection kills most disease causing organisms, but does not kill the endospores. Methods of disinfection depend on what is being disinfected, and what is being disinfected determines the level of disinfectant that will be used. Low level disinfectants include soap, sodium hyperchloride, and antibacterial wipes. Intermediate level disinfectants have tuberculocidal activity. Low level or intermediate level is used

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