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Oral Infection Prevention

1898 Words8 Pages

Introduction The risk of infection among patients and dental health care personnel through dental practice is rare. However, transmissions of infectious agents in dental settings, including patient-to-patient transmissions have been documented from 2003 to 2016. [1] It was reported that in June 20, 2013, patients who received treatment in an oral surgery clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were tested for blood-borne pathogens, 74 tested positive for hepatitis C, 5 for hepatitis B, and 3 for HIV. This facility was believed to have exposed as many as 7000 patients to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C over a 6-year period, due to numerous violations of infection control protocols, including unsanitary and unsafe conditions, improper dispensing …show more content…

Risk in Dental Practice
Dentists work in an environment where they are frequently exposed to a number of occupational hazards. One of them is the risk of transmission of organisms found in mouth or nasopharnyx of their patients. It is important for dentists to be aware of those types of infections including their modes of transmission so that they would know the way to prevent them .Those microorganisms can be spread through contact, droplet and airborne transmission. Dentists have to practice preventive measures every time as some of the carriers may be …show more content…

Infection prevention and control measures aim to ensure the protection of those who might be vulnerable to acquiring an infection both in the general community and while receiving care due to health problems. The basic principle of infection prevention and control is hygiene.
Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals. Hence, health care workers should take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by practicing and improving infection control.

References:
1. Redd JT, Baumbach J, Kohn W, et al. Patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus associated with oral surgery. J Infect Dis. 2007;195(9):1311–1314.
2. Marie T. Fluent, DDS. Infection Control in the Dental Office: Compliance Revisited. Available at: https://www.hu-friedy.com/products/mastercontrol/index/file/id/317
3. Wikipedia: Infection control.
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infection_control#Antimicrobial_surfaces
4. National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings – December 2011. Available at :

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