In the world of dentistry, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) serves a purpose far beyond being just a matter of regulation, it is a prerequisite for safety and it plays a pivotal role in delineating a safe working day from a preventable exposure or injury. Dental professionals rely on PPE for safeguarding themselves, their colleagues, and their patients due to the intimate nature of their work. But the question arises: how does PPE translate to a reduction in risk in dental settings?
Dental clinicians usually find themselves operating in close physical proximity to their patients, traversing possible encounters with blood, saliva, and respiratory droplets. This inherently places them in a higher risk pool of infection as compared to other healthcare professionals. Various studies substantiate this positioning by affirming an escalation in exposure to bacteria and viruses owing to aerosol-generating procedures in dental practices. However, PPE usage can markedly curtail these transmission risks.
Techniques such as High-Volume Evacuation (HVE), and usage of masks and face shields have proved to curtail aerosol levels by a staggering 90-96%, while the use of N95 respirators can bring down exposure risk by up to 99%. The reduction of infection risk in dental practices thus begins and ends with comprehensive and consistent PPE utilization. The proper usage of PPE lies in its correct donning, akin to the famed ‘yellow brick road’ to safety. This consistency in donning not only protects the wearer, but also the patients from possible cross-contamination.
The primary protective layer against exposure at dental practices are gloves, specifically, Nitrile Exam Gloves, which have replaced latex due to allergy implications. For guaranteeing optimal protection, dental professionals should never hesitate to halt a procedure to replace compromised gloves. Dental assistants also shoulder the critical responsibility of monitoring the dentist’s PPE and precautionarily addressing issues, should the gloves or barriers suffer damages. The importance of a correct glove fit cannot be overstressed either.
Along with gloves, other indispensable components of the PPE include utility gloves required for sterilization and operatory breakdown, face shields, which provide protection against aerosols and splatter, and masks and respirators. In cases where respiratory hazards are detected, and where engineering controls are deficient, OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard mandates the use of N95 respirators.
Finally, protective dental jackets, which absorb the highest level of contamination, play a significant role in the PPE lineup. As per OSHA regulations, these jackets are to be cleaned on‑site or by an approved laundry service and not at home. Adopting PPE is one of the simplest yet most effective strategies to support infection control measures in dental practices. Comprehending, accepting, and promoting the value of PPE could make a paramount difference for both the dental teams and their patients.
Source: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/clean-bite-no-time-april-foolin-ppe