Clinical services provided in the Wharton County Junior College Dental Hygiene Clinic by students, as well as supervising faculty. The use of effective infection control procedures in the dental clinic will prevent cross-contamination that may extend to the students, patients, and staff. Because all patients cannot be identified by history, physical examination, or readily available laboratory tests, each patient must be considered as potentially infectious and the same infection control procedures will be followed for each patient.
The following are recommendations instituted in the Wharton County Junior College
1. Obtain a thorough medical history.
2. Know the signs and symptoms of common or serious infectious diseases.
3. Utilize appropriate barrier protection methods at all times in clinic.
4. All students MUST receive the specified vaccines.
5. Postpone elective dental treatment during the acute stages of an infectious disease.
6. Use disposable supplies whenever possible.
7. Use personal barrier techniques that include gloves, facemask, eye protection and overgowns. Barrier techniques must always be used during patient treatment as well as during unit
clean up and instrument scrubbing. Wash hands and change gloves between patients.
Gloves must be removed when leaving the cubicle.
8. Keep charts and records isolated whenever practical. Use over-gloves when
making entries in chart during patient treatment.
9. Consider sharp items as potentially infective and handle with extraordinary care
to prevent unintentional injury. Discard disposable sharp items in puncture
10. Sterilize all dental instruments including handpieces between patients.
11. Perform sterilization or disinfection of all instruments.
12. Dispose all contaminated waste into “contaminated waste” receptacle.
13. Disinfect dental unit water lines on a regular basis.