Occupational Health & Safety and Water Lines

Question 1

Regulatory and advisory agencies

Answer 1

Regulatory and advisory agencies play an important role in establishing rules for health and safety in dentistry.

advisory agencies provides professionals with recommendation rather than rules.

Question 2

Centers for disease control and prevention

Answer 2

CDC the centers for disease control and prevention : is premier agency for protecting people’s health and safety.

These guideline cover a wide variety of topics including oral diseases, fluoride application, infection control

Question 3

Government Agencies

Answer 3

FDA: food and drug make regulation for production and labeling of medical devices.

EPA: environmental protection keeping world clean and safe place and work as removal and disposal of medical waste within dental clinic.

OSHA: occupational safety and health administration protect workers on job.

NIOSH: national institute of occupational safety and health. research and making recommendations to prevent possible diseases or injuries on job.

Question 4

Associations and organizations

Answer 4

-American dental association ADA : largest organizations for dentists, regularly send out updated recommendations for controlling infection and keeps professionals current on a variety of issue in dental field.

• American dental Assistants Association: ADAA designed to support and educate all types of dental staff.
• American dental hygienists association ADHA: focuses specifically on field of dental hygienists. it provides support and education.
• Organization for safety and Asesis procedures OSAP: not for profit organization for all professional in the dental field. It used a monthly newsletter to inform controlling infections and preventing injuries.

Question 5

Chemical and waste managment

Answer 5

chemicals are used in most clinic to keep everything it free of germs. chemicals are helpful for keeping instruments and surfaces clean.

Question 6

Hazardous chemicals

Answer 6

Hazardous chemicals : Any chemical that is defined by OSHA as physical or health hazard.

Hazardous chemicals can catch fair, can mixed with other, toxic and corrosive.

Hazardous chemical in dentistry include mercury, powdered natural rubber latex, nitrous oxide

• Mercury is more hazardous.
• corrosives can burn and destroy body tissues on contact.
• chemicals can be inhaled gad, vapors, dusts or absorbed through the skin or swallowing

Question 7

Type of chemical toxicity

Answer 7

acute or chronic chemical exposure: exposure too large amount of chemical in a short period of time.

what injuries or illnesses can be caused by exposure toxic chemicals?
- organ damage, respiratory, cancer, burns.

what are signs and symptoms of acute toxicity? -Dizzying, fainting, headache

what are effects of chronic toxicity? liver disease, brain disorders and cancer

Question 8

Chemical spills

Answer 8

Mercury spill kits should be available in all dental office in which amalgam is used. mercury can be absorbed of Mercury through the skin or through the inhalation of mercury vapors.

Question 9

Eye wash stations

Answer 9

OSHA requires every workplace that use chemical to have an eyewash station.

Eye wash stations help employees flush away hazardous substance.

Question 10

Hazard communication standard

Answer 10

OSHA wrote employee right to know law.

Five elements of hazard communication programs are
- written program
- chemical inventory
-ASDS
- staff training
- container labeling

Question 11

Hazard communication program

Answer 11

• keeps good records of program
• reads and understands the OSHA hazard
  -implement the written HCP
• creates chemical inventory
• informs other employees of location of MSDS
• labels containers and provides training to other employees.

Question 12

Hazard communication program must include the folowing list

Answer 12

• Identification of the individual who is responsible for program
• descriptions of any staff training
• descriptions of how chemicals should be handled in office setting
• descriptions all relevant safety measure taken in labeling
• Detailed descriptions on recommend ways to handle chemical emergencies

Question 12

materials safty data sheet MSDS documents contain the information listed

Answer 12

• physical and chemical properties of prodcts
• potential risk of health hazards when using product
• possible methods of exposure to product
• best ways to handle the product safety
• primary emergency and first aid procedures to follow in event of exposure to product
• the most effective ways to control any spills of products

Question 13

HCP components : training

Answer 13

All the up to data and accessible information in the world will not be helpful if the staff does not know how to use it.

Employee training is required in the instances listed here

• New employee is hired
• new chemical product is added to office
• the annual review is provided for continuing employees

Question 14

HCP components : labels

Answer 14

manufacturer’s labels are a vital part of handling chemicals safely. Without a label, it is impossible to look at a container and definitively recognize what’s in it or what hazards the contents might pose. You must read the label. the label identifies what chemicals is, who produced it name an address and any warning about its use.

labels contain clear information on items listed
- any health hazards-from caution to danger
- flammability
- instability
- Any special hazards such as water reactive

Question 15

personal chemical protection

Answer 15

need protection from potential acute or chronic chemical exposure

• Hand protection: gloves made from materials that cannot be damaged by chemicals. Gloved designed as protection agist an splash or spill.
• Eye protection: Goggles protect eyes from everything from fumes and splashes to chemicals solution.
• Protective clothing: it’s essay to spill or drip chemicals so coat help from harmful substances.
• Inhalation protection: wearing a mask that will protect against inhaling particels and liquid splatter. face masks should be fluid repellent nd provide respiratory protection

Question 16

Ventilation

Answer 16

Good Ventilation is element dealing with hazardous chemicals

Chemical storage and Disposal
-Read Directions: manufacturer’s instruction for storage can be found on MSDS and should be followed.

-Avoid light exposure: A basic safe policy is it to store dental medications and chemcials in a dry , cool, dark place where they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

-Check expiration dates: when changes in chemical composition of materials occur, the product might no longer retain its effectiveness. if the product has expired, dispose of chemical according to MSDS.

• Rotate products: Always put the oldest product in front so it is used first.

Question 17

EPA regulated Hazardous wastes

Answer 17

The following types of hazardous waste are listed by the EPA

• Ignitable waste: is flammable
• corrosive waste: highly acidic or basis with ph less 2.0 and greater than 12.5
• Reactive waste: chemically unstable reats violently with water or gives off toxic fumes when mixed with water.
• Toxic wates: contains arsenic, mercury, lead, sliver and pesticides.

Question 18

Dental office wastes

Answer 18

-photo processing wastes: x ray fixer, shields, cleaner

• Chemical disinfectants: used for instruments as an example and must be disposed of properly.
• Line cleaner waste: cleaners used flush water lines.
• Universal wastes: batteries, lamps and mercury thermometers.
• Amalgam wastes: scrap, extracted teeth and sludge.

Question 19

water lines the dental facility

Answer 19

dental water lines or DUWLs: tubes that carry water at high velocity to dental equipement such as air water syrings.

colony forming units CFUs a measure of viable or bacterial numbers.

preventions is relatively easy:
-use anti-retraction valves ( device that prevent water and organism from backflowing into the water lines.
- flush dental lines between patients
-monitor dental water quality with test kits.

Question 20

communities of bacteria

Answer 20

Two types bacteria found in DUWLs

• Plamktonic bacteria comes from public system
• Biofilm: layer of bacterial cell and microbes including fungi and algae.

Biofilm
- loves moisture and solid surface
- result of sticky things like glue
- consists of multiple antibiotics
- responsible for a variety if diseases like ear infections and bacterial endocarditis which means infection of the inner surface of the heat and it valves.

Methods of reducing contamination
- self contained reservoirs
- chemical treatment
- microfiltration
- daily draining and dying of lines.

Question 21

Chemical Agent

Answer 21

Second way to limit amount of biofilm in DUWLs is use chemicals.

-periodic treatment with biocidal level of chemicals ( strong enough to kill microorganisms)
- application of chemicals to the system at level that sestory micro but not harm people.

Flush water lines
- one of the most routine methods of reducing bacterial.
- flush every several minutes and every morning and also between patients.
- routine flushing won’t eliminate all biofilms in lines but help decrease the water’s microbial.

Question 22

Other methods to minimize microorganism

Answer 22

• one way to reduce contamination in the dental office is by minimizing the use of aerosols.
• High volume evacuator when using handpiece, ultrasonic scaler and air water syringe.
• high volume might also reduce exposures of the patient waterborne microorganism.
• slaiva ejectors recommendation from CDC help prevent backflow that occure when the pressure in he patient’s mouth become less.

Question 22

Self-contained systems

Answer 22

works by sending air pressure to the reservoir. that action push water out of the bottle and through tubing and water lines. Finally water exits through the hand-piece and air water syringe.

Question 23

Microfilteration cartridges

Answer 23

Another way to significantly lower the amount of bacteria and improve water quality is by using disposable, inline microfiltation cartridges.
cartridges must be placed as close to the handpiece or the air water syringe as possible and be replaced at least once per day.