> Infection Prevention
Protecting the patient Let patients know what and why you do the things you do to keep them healthy and safe.
Holiday time is family time and joy for most everyone. Yet most of us have a dysfunctional family in some way or another. Dysfunction can be understood by thinking of a wind-chime. If one piece starts moving, it moves other pieces. Sometimes the sound is harmonious but often becomes a horrid clang of dysfunction.
Patti DiGangi, RDH, BS Patti believes dentistry is no longer just about fixing teeth; dentistry is oral medicine. AND its time we got around to truly practicing it. Her new brand: Beyond Oral Health challenges us do so. Patti’s specialty is coding-medically necessary coding. Her efforts have assisted thousands of professionals to code more accurately and efficiently. She teaches the why behind the codes. Patti holds publishing and speaking licenses with ADA for Current Dental Terminology©2020. Patti’s passion for infection protection is based on her personal health and allergies. She wants everyone to be protected.
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A family is a system. Every day in your work, you probably interact with dozens of systems. Dentistry is filled with systems. Some effective, some whose time has come and gone but are still being used. One very important area in dentistry needing a systems approach is infection protection. A functional family of related products can help everyone in the practice family get it right without guessing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings and the Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings state, “Infection prevention must be made a priority in any dental health care setting. At least one individual with training in infection prevention—the infection prevention coordinator—should be responsible for developing written infection prevention policies… appropriate training and education of dental health care personnel (DHCP) on infection prevention practices, and adequate
Efficiency In Group Practice : ISSUE 3 • 2020
supplies to allow DHCP to provide safe care and a safe working environment.’ That sounds great and is important. At the same time, anyone who worked in a dental practice more than a half-hour knows, the ideal isn’t the way a practice necessarily or often works. Those working in a dental practice become a family and act as a system. It can be a dysfunctional family. Starting the day with a team huddle gets the team on the same page each day. Huddles aim to refocus everyone’s attention after the morning rush. They enable the team to dial in together before breaking for the day. In other words, the best of plans can still get derailed. The first patient comes late for their hygiene appointment. The other hygiene patient needs an extensive conversation with the dentist. The computers aren’t booting. So many issues arise that take precedence that pulls every person in the practice. With hygiene running so far behind, one of the assistants is asked
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