Do you know the timing of dental hand hygiene?

September 20th of each year is the (China) National Love Day. The establishment of “National Love Tooth Day” is a pioneering activity in China to carry out mass oral health education activities and is an important measure to promote the development of dental disease prevention and health care in China.

With regard to the five moments of hand hygiene, everyone must be familiar with it. However, for some special areas, the definition of five timings may not be applicable, and the rules for observing hand hygiene should be re-established. Dental clinics are one of them.

On the hand hygiene training website in Australia, the rules for hand hygiene related to operation were posted separately for dentists. Some of them were not thought of by us. Today, let us learn about Xiaowen’s carefully organized Xiaowen. .
In general, it is divided into five opportunities, one by one in the article.

Timing 1: Before touching the patient
o After entering the contaminated area (medical area), before touching the patient on the dental chair, the following actions are included: shaking hands, assisting the patient to lie down on the dental chair, putting a bib on the patient, and handing water to the patient;
o contact with any patient-related device;
o Give the patient a positive position before X-ray.
In short, all activities before contact with the patient must be washed.

Timing 2: Before operation
o Insert an instrument into the mouth that may penetrate tissue or cavity;
o Before any contact with non-intact mucosa or non-intact skin: any dental procedures, including invasive procedures, removal, reduction, etc.; before drug handling and preparation of drugs in oral operations: such as fluorosis, local anesthesia, general anesthesia, care Dental hormones, etc.

Timing 3: After operation
o Any operation of timing 2 is completed;
o After exposure to blood fluids – after using any dental equipment;
o After direct or indirect contact with saliva, whether through contact with a cup or tissue;
o After contact with the used sample bottle;
o cleaning dentures;
o wash secretions from any patient;
o after touching the outer wall of the suction bottle;
o contact any surface that has been touched by a previously contaminated glove, such as a dental chair overhead light;
o After cleaning contaminated surfaces, such as treatment vehicles.

Timing 4: After touching the patient
After contacting the patient, prepare to leave the contaminated area to the clean area, and wash the hand once in the middle;

Timing 5: After touching the patient’s surroundings
After contact with the patient’s environment (not in contact with the patient), the contaminated area will be removed from the contaminated area, and the hand should be washed in the middle.

Through a series of operations to restore hand hygiene requirements in dental clinics after contact with the patient, need to wash your hands.

Start placing dental instruments on the treatment tray. “Placement of the instrument” is an operation. This is a “pre-operational” step to avoid contamination of the sterile bag. If you don’t touch anything after setting up the instrument, you can do the next thing without washing your hands.

Note*: If you need to take the instrument outside the medical treatment area, then after taking the instrument, you need to wash your hands before wearing gloves & after preparing the sterile device.

Your hand is clean, wear masks and goggles directly for yourself.

Next, wear gloves. Wash your hands before wearing gloves. Gloves do not completely block the spread of bacteria, because the pathogen can spread to the hands of medical staff through the small breakage of the gloves. When taking off gloves, contaminated gloves can also cause contamination of the hands. So wash your hands after taking off your gloves.

After the operation.

First take off the patient’s bib and then organize the contaminated tray. Hand hygiene after taking off the gloves.
The operator is protected from contamination after exposure to blood body fluids.
At this point your hand is clean. Remove the goggles and mask. After removing the goggles and mask Need to have another hand hygiene. Because there is already a risk of blood body fluid exposure.

After work
Put on gloves and put on gowns. Wipe the work area. Avoid hand and clothing from blood body fluids on objects such as dental chairs. Any time,  if you need to leave the contaminated area (medical area). Then wash your hands after taking off your gloves.
Because immediately after that, you need to do some recording work.

Keep these things as clean as possible.