DENTACOR SANITIZATION POLICIES

After a dental appointment, all clinical contact surfaces and patient-care areas that could be contaminated with blood, saliva, or other potentially infectious material must be sanitized. Here’s a list of areas that need to be sanitized:

1. Dental Chair and Operator Area

• Chair arms, headrest, and controls
• Light handles and switches
• Delivery unit and control panel
• Handpiece connectors and hoses
• Saliva ejector and high-volume evacuator (HVE) holders

2. Instrument Areas

• Countertops where instruments are placed
• Tray or bracket table surfaces
• Any area that contacted instruments or supplies

3. Dentist and Assistant Touch Points

• Drawer and cabinet handles
• Computer keyboard and mouse
• Mobile carts and handles
• Pens, clipboard, or any item handled during the procedure

4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Areas

• Surfaces near PPE removal zones
• Barriers (if used) should be removed and replaced

5. X-Ray Equipment (if used)

• Control panel buttons
• X-ray tube head and positioning arms
• Sensors or film holders

6. Patient Contact Surfaces

• Headrest cover
• Patient safety glasses
• Any accessories or personal items that came into contact with surfaces

7. Sink and Hand Hygiene Areas

• Faucet handles
• Soap and towel dispensers
• Countertops

Sanitization Guidelines

• Use EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants.
• Follow manufacturer contact time on surfaces (often 2–10 minutes).
• Remove visible debris before applying disinfectant.
• Discard single-use items and replace barriers.

Contamination Zone

Key Facts About This Zone:

• It typically extends 2 to 6 feet from the patient’s mouth in all directions.
• It includes areas where aerosols, splatter, and droplets may settle during and after a procedure.
• This zone includes:
  • The dental chair
  • Countertops, trays, and nearby equipment
  • Flooring beneath and around the chair
  • Clinician and assistant PPE and clothing

🧤 WHEN TO WEAR GLOVES IN A DENTAL EXAM

Wear gloves:

1. Before any contact with a patient’s mouth, mucous membranes, saliva, blood, or contaminated surfaces.

2. During all clinical procedures, including:

   • Exams

   • Cleanings

   • X-rays

   • Restorative work

3. When handling instruments, even if they’re just being moved or sterilized.

4. When touching any contaminated surfaces or objects (including chair, lights, trays, or keyboards used during treatment).

📍 WHERE TO WEAR GLOVES

• In clinical areas: exam rooms, operatories, sterilization areas.

• Not in non-clinical areas: front desk, breakroom, bathroom, or while using a phone or computer (unless it’s part of the operatory and has a barrier).

⚠️ Important: Gloves are single-use and should never be washed or reused.

✋ HOW TO PUT ON (Don) GLOVES

1. Wash hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer and let hands dry completely.

2. Remove gloves from the box without touching other gloves.

3. Put on the first glove by inserting your hand and pulling it over the wrist.

4. Put on the second glove the same way, being careful not to touch the outer surface with bare hands.

5. Adjust fingers and cuffs as needed, without touching your skin.

🗑️ HOW TO TAKE OFF (Doff) GLOVES

1. Grasp the outside of one glove near the wrist (avoid touching your skin).

2. Peel it off turning it inside out as you remove it.

3. Hold the removed glove in your gloved hand.

4. Slide two fingers under the wrist of the remaining glove (inside the cuff).

5. Peel it off over the first glove, so both gloves are inside out and one is wrapped in the other.

6. Dispose of gloves properly in a biohazard or waste container.

7. Immediately wash or sanitize your hands.

🧼 REMEMBER:

• Gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene.

• NEVER TOUCH FACE OR OTHER PARTS OF YOU BODY OR CONTAMINATE GLOVES BY BLOWING ON THEM OR SPITTING ON THEM

• Always change gloves:

  • Between patients

  • If torn or punctured

  • If moving from a contaminated to a clean area

During a dental exam, only items that are either disinfected, covered with barriers, or required for immediate use should be out in the open. Here's a breakdown:

✅ What Can Be Out in the Open:

1. Sterile or Prepped Instruments

• Must be:

  • Unwrapped only right before use

  • Placed on a sterile tray or barriered surface

  • Protected from contamination

2. Items With Barriers

• Plastic covers or sleeves must be used and changed between patients.

3. Single-Use Items

• Gauze, cotton rolls, suction tips, syringe tips, etc.

• Only if they are:

  • Packaged or

  • Placed on a covered tray and used during that specific procedure

4. PPE Items Ready for Use

• Gloves, masks, eyewear—if stored in a clean area away from aerosols/splatter

🚫 What Should Not Be Out:

• Personal items (phones, drinks, pens, etc.)

• Uncovered or unwrapped instruments

• Paperwork or charts not in a plastic cover

• Containers of bulk materials like cotton rolls or gauze (unless in a covered dispenser)

• Reusable tools or materials not in use and not barriered

⚠️ Key Infection Control Principles:

• The dental operatory is treated as a semi-sterile field.

• Anything left open during a procedure is considered exposed to aerosols or touch contamination.

• If it’s not being used for that exam, it should be stored, covered, or kept in drawers/cabinets.

CLICK BELOW TO VERIFY THAT ALL SANITIZATION REQUIREMENTS WERE COMPLETE BEFORE STARTING WITH A NEW PATIENT