Material hazards in the dental environment are a serious concern, and it is essential that everyone who handles and manipulates these materials has and uses appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Dust or surgical masks, goggles, gowns, and hair coverings are all necessary to ensure safety. Many dental professionals are at risk of being exposed to a variety of chemicals and hazardous situations, so it is important to be aware of the potential risks in the work environment.
Infection Control and Hazardous Materials Management for Dental Equipment
Infection Control and Hazardous Materials Management for Dental Equipment, Seventh Edition is an essential resource for all members of the dental team.This comprehensive and highly practical text covers topics such as microbiology concepts, protocols for clinical asepsis, regulatory recommendations, patient safety violations, infection preparedness and control. Step-by-step instructions make it easy to execute safety procedures and use the supplies and equipment needed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Real case scenarios offer opportunities for critical thinking and application.
Chemicals Used in the Dental Workplace
Several chemicals must be used in the dental workplace to perform successful dental treatment, such as decontamination solutions, X-ray processing solutions, and mercury in amalgam fillings.All of these materials can be potentially harmful if mishandled. In addition to identifying the signs and symptoms of medical emergencies that may occur in the dental office and their proper management, the entire dental team should also be able to deal with basic first aid procedures.
Legal Obligations
Before dental nurses were enrolled in the General Council of Dentistry (GDC) and before training and qualification were necessary, a senior colleague used to call this supervision “monitoring” of a junior colleague by a senior colleague until it was considered that they could carry out the activity without supervision. All dental workplaces must undergo a fire safety inspection to ensure that they have carried out the necessary risk assessment.The primary purpose of health and safety legislation is to protect all members of the dental workplace (staff, patients, and visitors) from suffering any harm while in the facility. The Occupational Health and Safety Act (197) covers all dental workplaces, their staff, and their patients. To meet the basic requirements of this act, all employers in the dental workplace must meet certain requirements. All dental nurses have a legal obligation to cooperate with their employers to comply with the office's requirements regarding these safety measures.
Examples of hazardous situations that patients and visitors may face in the dental workplace can be found in table 4.
