HYGIENE IN DENTAL SURGERIES

WATERLINES

Dental equipment should be rinsed for two minutes at the beginning of the day
and 20 seconds between each patient.

The problem of contaminated dental waterlines can be resolved by steaming, or by installing a device that constantly produces calculated small amounts of disinfectants.

HIGHSPEED DRILL SUCK-BACK

Manufacturers have developed new generations of high-speed drills and handpieces, equipped with suckback prevention.

DELIVERY CLAMPS

Equipment manufactures have begun manufacturing detachable and washable clamps.

BARRIERS

Another way to protect against cross-contamination is the use of barriers. Instead of cleaning things, cover them with one-way foil. Things that aren't dirty don't need to be cleansed. In the US it is quite normal that instruments, panels and tube endings are covered with polyethylene barriers.

And don't worry: they do sterilise their handpieces in America!

MAGNETIC CLAMPS

Covering instrumentpanels and clamps with foil is difficult:
foil doesn't stay in place around the holes and interferes with the switches built into these holes.
However, there is another way: Safefoil is a Dutch invention that solves a great many of these problems. Remove the traditional instrumentpanels and replace them with a magnetic plate. These magnets are so strong that they will create a blood blister if you your fingers between two of them. Equip the magnetic front with a roll of one-way foil. All hoses and instrument wires get their own plastic sleeve. The magnets will keep all the dental instruments safely in place. After each patient, all disposable barriers are discarded and replaced. ( see also : www.Lighthouse-Innovations.nl )