Cliff's Notes

“Let’s Talk About Infection Control!” & “A Review of the VivaPen”

Cliff’s Notes for May 29, 2011

….. E-Blast…..

 

Cliff Marsh, Henry Schein ……Cell: 201-321-7494……Fax: 201-262-2210…..E-mail: cliff.marsh@henryschein.com

http://www.cliffsnotesblog.wordpress.com

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; It’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

Mark Twain

In This Week’s Issue

• Let’s Talk About Infection Control Part #1 – Don’t Play With Fire!
• Memorial Day is for remembering the Heroes!
• Did We Forget About O.S.H.A?
• Product Review – The VivaPen

 

 Let’s Talk About Infection Control!…………………………………………………

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe

Infection Prevention & Control in the Dental Office

8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Continental Breakfast Served – 2 CE’s (subject code #130)

Drs. $35.00 – Staff $15.00 Fees can be billed to your Henry Schein Account

The topics to be discussed in this 2 hour intense overview:

1. Understanding CDC Guide Lines
2. Disinfection
3. Risk assessment
4. Instrument processing
5. Personal protection
6. Sterilization procedures
7. Sterilization monitoring

To register, call Carol @ 973-227-3533 or e-mail Cliff @ cliff.marsh@henryschein.com.

A minimum of 15% of your clinical production time is lost to infection control. The sad part is that in most cases the “disinfection” procedures fall short. Sure, anything helps and most clinical staff will do their best but the question is, were they trained correctly? In simple terms, are you getting the bang for your buck? Let’s start by understanding what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and the things we use to accomplish the tasks.

This is part #1 of what could easily become a novel. However, we will try stick to the basics and leave the detail to in-office consultation.

As far as the Why question:

Infection control is certainly nothing new, but it came to forefront in the late 1980’s when a Florida dentist and 6 of his patients were diagnosed with the same strain of the HIV virus. That’s when dentists started wearing gloves and reluctantly sterilizing everything. The following is an excerpt from a NY Times article that was written in 1993.

“For three years, medical sleuths have been trying to figure out how Dr. David J. Acer, a Florida dentist, infected six of his patients with the AIDS virus. But they are stumped, and the case has become one of the most disturbing unsolved mysteries in the annals of medicine. Now, some are asking whether it should be considered a murder mystery.

The late Dr. Acer is the only health care worker anywhere known to have infected even one of his patients. Last month, a teen-aged girl became his sixth patient to test positive for the same strain of the virus that killed him. Fifty-seven other health-care professionals have told the authorities that they are H.I.V.-positive; 19,000 of their patients have been tested. Not one has caught the virus from medical treatment.”

In 1985 I presented my first session on infection control. It was a sell-out and we introduced the NY market to a new world of concern. The Florida situation was just reported and the news media began attacking dentistry. The speaker was Dr. Robert Runnels from the Univ. of Utah. The focus was on the transmission of viruses and bacteria and the new “non-native” strains.

Infection control procedures are well documented and are now an O.S.H.A. concern. You need to protect your employees and provide whatever they feel is necessary for that protection. You also need to be aware of the products you are using. Not only will some of them damage your very expensive equipment, but the vapors create an environmental concern within the office.

Next week, Cliff’s Notes will begin a discussion on the effect of disinfectants on dental equipment and the myths and facts. What can you do today? Register for the June 22^nd seminar.

Memorial Day is for Remembering the Heroes……………………

War is not glorious. We watch the movies and listen to the news and it seems so far away from our lives. We go to sleep at night without a thought of the dangers we are being protected against and the terror that our protectors face every day.

My father was part of the greatest generation. They liberated Europe and Asia and changed the world. Their courage and devotion to freedom and our way of life is the backbone of inspiration for all those men and women that will be standing on the wall tonight while we sleep. God bless and protect them all.

The following video was sent to me by a close friend. We are losing our WWII heroes at a rate of 1,000 a day. Let’s always remember them and the heroes that follow daily in their footsteps.

http://media.causes.com/1060527?p_id=103947694&amp%3Bs=fb_feed

 

Did We Forget About O.S.H.A?…………………………………………….

The following information was supplied by the Health Compliance Team (www.healthcomplianceteam.com) & written by Kathy Rooker May 25, 2011

Sometimes medical offices are so focused on workplace hazards like blood borne pathogens that they forget about other areas of OSHA compliance.

Recently as I was doing one of my mock OSHA inspections, I asked the manager if I could see the office’s emergency action plan (EAP). She had no clue what I was talking about.

Employees need to know how to handle any type of an emergency that may arise, according to OSHA Emergency Action Plans standard, and if you have 11 or more employees, the plan must be in writing.

 As I was trying to explain what details needed to be included in this plan, the manager jokingly said: If something happens, I’m outta here. I told her she really needed to take this seriously. What if there is a tornado? Where are the employees and patients going to go to seek safety from the storm? Have the employees been trained on evacuation procedures if there is a fire in the building? I asked the manager if she had trained the staff on how to use a fire extinguisher if required as part of their job duties, and she finally realized that she needed help with preparing and training her staff on handling emergencies and evacuations.

Your EAP should include policies and procedures for bomb threats, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical crises, and workplace violence. Take each situation and document how to safely and efficiently handle it. For example, conduct a fire drill and assess how quickly the staff evacuated the building. Did everyone go to the specified location? Did they remember not to use the elevator? How long did it take to get everyone out of the building? If it took 10 minutes, you may want to repeat the fire drill.

Train the staff and physicians on how to handle emergencies that are likely to happen given the nature of your practice and its location. Review this plan with all new employees and whenever the plan has been updated. The goal is to avoid panic and frustration during an emergency.

 Product Review – AdheSE One F (The VivaPen)……………………….

By Ivoclar Vivadent

AdheSE One F

AdheSE One F is a self-etching, light-curing, single-component adhesive with fluoride release for direct restorative treatment procedures. The popular VivaPen allows an easy, clean and economical application of AdheSE One F directly in the oral cavity of the patient.

 Advantages:

• Easy and time-saving direct application
• Ergonomic design of the VivaPen with integrated fill-level indicator
• Economical dispensing – sufficient material for approx. 120 applications
• Long-lasting bond to enamel and dentin
• Fluoride release
• Storage at room temperature

For more information log onto www.ivoclarvivadent.com or contact me at any time.

 Cliff Marsh

Henry Schein Dental

P.O. Box 663 / 45 Rt. 46 East, Suite 605

Pine Brook, NJ 07058

Cell: 201-321-7494

Fax: 201-262-2210

cliff.marsh@henryschein.com

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May 29, 2011 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized