ACIPC Conference 2016A/Prof Sharon Liberali

Chair, ADA Infection control committee

NOVEMBER 2016

PRESSING INFECTION CONTROL ISSUES IN DENTISTRY

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

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Who needs to use these guidelines?

These guidelines are developed to provide

guidance to dental practitioners or those seeking to become registered in the dental

profession.

They apply to all dentists, dental prosthetists,

dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental

specialists and oral health therapists.

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1. Documentation

1.1 Every place where dental care is provided must have the following documents in either hard copy or electronic form (the latter includes guaranteed internet access). Every working dental practitioner and all staff must have access to these documents:

a) A manual setting out the infection control protocols and procedures used in that practice, which is based on the documents listed at sections 1.1(b), (c) and (d) of these guidelines and with reference to the concepts in current practice noted in the documents listed under Regulations in these guidelines

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

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b) The Australian and New Zealand

Standard AS/NZS 4815:2006 Office

based health care facilities-

Reprocessing of reusable medical

and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of

the associated environment

Dental practitioners work under

AS/NZS 4815 unless they work within an organization that operates

under……..

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

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AS/NZS 4187:2014

Cleaning, disinfecting and

sterilising reusable

medical and surgical

instruments and

equipment, and

maintenance of

associated environments in health care facilities.

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

curr

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c) Australian Guidelines

for the Prevention and

Control of Infection in Healthcare published by

the National Health and

Medical Research

Council (NHMRC)

Published in 2010

Currently under review

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

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d) The current Australian

Dental Association

Guidelines for Infection

Control (published 2015)

Dental Board of Australia – Guidelines on Infection Control

So what are the pressing

Infection Control issues in

Dentistry?

“The greatest confusion for many practitioners is that they are not completely aware it is their personal responsibility

to ensure that correct infection control procedures are followed in the clinic environment, and that they actually agree to this responsibility each time they re-register with the Dental Board of Australia (the National Board)

or the Dental Council of NSW (the NSW Council).

This is the case whether you are an employee dentist or an employer dentist.

This is a responsibility that you cannot delegate.”

AS/NZS 4187 or AS/NZS 4815?

Office based practice, including Dentistry has

•Less complex procedures, particularly the use of ‘critical’ RMD’s

•Less risk of extensive blood loss and exposure to sterile tissues

•Less range of RMD family types

Small dental practice (4

chairs)

Complies with AS/NZS 4815 (2006)

Medium dental practice (10

chairs)

Complies with AS/NZS 4815 (2006)

Large dental practice

(20 chairs)

Partially complies with AS/NZS 4187 (2014)

CSU facility in progress -

2 rooms

Complies with AS/NZS 4187 (2014)

Disinfector

entryUltrasonics Disinfector

exit

Wrapping

station

Thank you