The papers say that surgical instruments, dental treatment/instruments and blood transfusions could be looked at for further links with prion infection.
Professor Collinge is reported in the Times as saying his theory represents "a paradigm shift" in the way Alzheimer's is viewed as it had been thought that the condition developed either because of genetic links, or it was simply a random occurrence. The Daily Mail reports that Professor Collinge is not implying that Alzheimer's is contagious in any way, or that people should rethink having operations or dental work. However he added that more research into the possible link would be "prudent".
Making the case for single use instruments:
Mervyn Druin was asked to comment on the news on BBC Radio and in his interview he mentioned that it was good practice to use single-use instruments for root canal treatment. The irony of this is that many dentists do not really know why they are not considering single-use hand instruments for more procedures.It is commonly accepted that re-usable hand instruments are almost always chosen over single-use ones. The irony of this is that many dentists do not really know why they are not considering single-use hand instruments. They simply dismiss the option from the outset.
Re-usable instruments bring about huge constraints because of decontamination and sterilisation requirements. This impacts on time which could be dedicated to patients, places more strain on already pressurised staff, significantly increases practice overheads and ultimately impacts on the overall profitability of the business.
What’s more, complex cross infection prevention and control procedures, and physical space issues can make the rigorous regulatory demands of HTM01-05, ‘Decontamination in Primary Care Dental Practices’, quite a challenge and create a potentially high risk environment for both patients and staff.
So how can dentists be expected to run a successful practice when capital budgets and space constraints make the implementation of mandatory upgrading of washer disinfection and autoclave equipment non-viable?
Considering these issues, it is surprising to see that practice owners remain loyal to re-usable hand instruments. Or is it because they are not aware of viable alternatives?
Single-use hand instruments can offer significant benefits:
• Instruments are always new and readily available, free from any wear and tear
• No cross-contamination issues as the instruments are new and un-used
• The whole decontamination process is removed
• Costs associated with operating washer/disinfectors and autoclaves are eliminated
• Less time is spent on regulatory compliance
• Patient time is increased and the practice can generate greater revenues as a result.
With litigation and complaints on the rise, according to a recent press briefing by Dental Protection which highlights that UK dentists are sued more often than dentists in other parts of the world, single-use instruments should be regarded as a safer option too.
However, in practice, single-use hand instruments have so far failed to deliver. Whether the quality element or price-point do not meet the dentists’ needs or whether specific clinical applications cannot be met, single-use instruments have not made any major breakthrough in dentistry. Until now…
Robinson Healthcare’s Instrapac range is the leading UK single use instrument brand. Instrapac has been adopted across multiple clinical specialties including podiatry, which has experienced identical instrument decontamination issues to those faced by the dental profession. Moving into dentistry was therefore a natural progression for the company which has now developed a range of premium quality single use dental instruments to provide dental practitioners with a viable alternative to re-usable hand instruments.
Robinson Healthcare's managing director Leigh Thomasson explained: “Before entering the dental sector we reviewed the market very carefully and immediately identified that many single-use hand instruments available at the time were not fit for purpose and not cost effective.
Poor quality single use instruments simply did not justify replacing tried and tested reusable dental hand instruments, despite the many ‘hidden’ operational costs and technical challenges associated with reusable instrumentation.”
The company has successfully addressed all of these obstacles and has launched its Instrapac Dental range, which provides premium quality, cost effective instruments for most dental clinical applications. Robinson Healthcare’s new partnership with Healthcare Environmental Group (HEG) also successfully addresses concerns about the potential environmental impact of single use instruments.
Robinson Healthcare is so confident about delivering quality it has issued an invitation to practitioners to assess the Instrapac Dental range for themselves, to reassess their preconceptions and to take a more detailed look at the significant cost-savings which could be achieved by adopting high quality single-use hand instruments as an essential component of a forward thinking practice management strategy.
Robinson Healthcare will be attending the BDIA Showcase at the NEC Birmingham October 22-24, 2015, on stand C205. Further information about the company and its products can be obtained by contacting the dedicated Robinson Healthcare Customer Services Team on 01909 735000, or by visiting www.robinsonhealthcare.com