Updates on the PDA Interim Guidelines

on Infection Prevention for CoVid-19 Pandemic

(Part XI)

We are now at the tail end of our discussion on the guidelines regarding the infection control in a dental office 

setting.

Disinfecting the office particularly the operatory, is a key move in terms of ensuring that the virus causing Covid 19 will not be transmitted to the patients and the dental office workers.

It is important to know the key things to use or know in terms of disinfecting the dentist’s office to rid of the virus. The threat of the virus can be present and people can get infected of the disease if nothing is being done to ensure that an area is totally disinfected.

In a dentist’s office, there is a need to ensure there are machines that can help decontaminate the operatory.

Operatory decontamination equipment are necessary and are only recommended machines and each dentist must inquire regarding the manufacturer’s recommendations specific to their office set up and size.

Dental office should also consider ultraviolet machines as decontamination using ultraviolate is potentially hazardous to humans and must be done strictly following manufacturer’s instruction.

Dentists need to also consider the use of High Efficiency Particle (HEPA) Filtration Units.

Room filtration efficacy is affected by room size, room air movement (caused by air conditioners, electric fans) and unit maintenance

When decontaminating surfaces 0.1% bleach is recommended for non-porous surfaces but may damage colored fabrics 3%.

Another way to disinfect is via the use of Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is suitable for non-porous and porous surfaces.

POSTSCRIPT

In the past few weeks, we discussed the equipment, machines, protocols and even infrastructure to have inside the dentist’s office to prevent virus transmission.

The dentist and other workers inside the dentist’s office are susceptible to the virus given the fact that there are a lot of aerosol generating procedures (AGP). AGP can be an opportunity for the virus to spread especially in a dentist’s office.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) figures prominently in keeping the dentist’s office free from the virus.

In the course of discussing the guidelines we have learned the key differences in the levels of PPE in terms of providing protection.

In this time where the pandemic is raging, it is important to know how to protect oneself from the enemy. While Covid may not result in a fatality, the high rate of infection and contamination increases the risk of getting sick with the virus.

At the start of the pandemic, operations of dental clinics had to be suspended and had to wait for some guidelines on how to properly handle the spread of the virus.

The spread of the virus causing Covid can be stopped and dental procedures can continue as long as the guidelines are followed strictly.