Effective surface decontamination

Infection prevention and control is coming under increasing scrutiny, yet has always been considered important to the medical and healthcare professions. Recent outbreaks of MRSA and C Diff demonstrate the need for strict and effective decontamination methods has never been so significant. There has been an increasing awareness of the hazards associated with poor cleaning techniques among those in the profession as well as the public. This indicates an urgent need for every member in the dental team to be vigilant in applying correct decontamination protocols, such as one plan outlined below:

After treating each patient:

After treating your last patient:

In addition, to aid in this hygiene maintenance, all work surfaces and floor coverings should be continuous, jointless (where feasible) and non-slip. It is well known such surfaces are susceptible to contamination from microorganisms and therefore need a stringent decontamination process to reduce the risk of infection for patients and staff.

It would also be advisable to undertake the technique referred to as 'zoning'. It is the most effective way of ensuring decontamination is performed as efficiently as possible and the first step in successful surface disinfection as it focuses on those specific areas most frequently contaminated. Zoning involves the division of contaminated areas from clean as well as allocating areas for placing 'dirty' and 'clean' instruments.