Why infection control education is essential for dental assistants
Infection prevention and control duties are often delegated to dental assistants in the practice. Considering this fact, it’s extremely important for dental assistants to always be on the cutting edge of infection control knowledge. Fortunately, there are many resources available to keep dental assistants up to date, including certifications from DANB and continuing education courses from the DALE Foundation.
Here are just a few of the many reasons why infection control education is essential.
To protect patients
Dental assistants are dedicated to providing patient care, which first and foremost involves ensuring a safe office setting. Completing infection control education ensures dental assistants know how to practice proper hand hygiene, wear and change PPE appropriately, disinfect instruments and exam rooms, clean water lines, dispose of medical waste, and much more.
“We are making a commitment to patients that we are doing everything we can to protect them and take care of them,” says Tania.
“Dental operatories see large volumes of patients daily, so it is critical to use proper disinfection and sterilization methods to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination,” adds Mayuly.
To ensure the dental team’s safety
Dental team members are among the professionals most at risk of infection given the close contact they have with patients and each other. This is why boosting one’s knowledge base in infection prevention and control is important for protecting patients and staff from contaminants in the air, on surfaces, and in saliva, blood, and other areas.
“Dental infection control education is critical,” says Denise. “Uneducated dental assistants can unknowingly spread infections to their patients, themselves, and the other members of the dental office.”
To serve as a leader
Dental team members with wide knowledge of dental infection prevention and control guidelines are often seen as leaders in the practice who can share their knowledge with peers and patients. Many dental assistants have been promoted to the role of infection control coordinator or specialist, for example, placing them in a role where they can develop, implement, and manage office safety protocols.
“One of my best moments as a dental assistant was achieving my CDIPC certification from DANB to become the infection control coordinator in my office,” says Rachel.
“When I say, ‘This is what we need to do’ or ‘We need to make some changes,’ my team knows it’s not just because I’m rambling on,” explains Renee. “They see that I know what I’m talking about because I take the time to research and take the continuing education to uphold my certifications.”