DISEASE TRANSMISSION
The most common route of disease transmission in the dental office.
What is direct contact with blood or saliva?
Gloves, masks, protective eyewear, and gowns are examples of this.
What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?
Instruments that penetrate soft tissue or bone are classified as this.
What are critical instruments?
The labeling system that provides information about chemical hazards in the workplace.
What is the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
Biofilm in dental unit waterlines is made up of these.
What are bacterial cells and their protective slime layer?
The type of transmission caused by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
What is indirect transmission?
The type of hand hygiene required before donning gloves for a surgical procedure.
What is a surgical scrub?
The color change on sterilization indicator tape means this.
What is that the package was exposed to heat (but sterility is not guaranteed)?
Extracted teeth are considered this type of waste.
What is infectious waste (regulated medical waste)?
The recommended maximum number of colony-forming units (CFUs) per milliliter in dental water.
What is 500 CFU/mL?
The CDC’s term for all human blood and body fluids being treated as potentially infectious.
What are standard precautions?
The level of disinfectant that can kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
What is an intermediate-level disinfectant?
These should be sterilized, even though they are often overlooked, because they go into the patient’s mouth and can transmit infection if not properly cleaned.
What are dental handpieces?
The law that requires proper labeling and handling of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
What is the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom)?
The daily practice recommended to reduce biofilm in dental waterlines before patient care.
What is flushing the lines?
An infection that develops slowly and may persist for life.
What is a chronic infection?
The process that reduces the number of pathogens but does not kill spores.
What is disinfection?
The test that verifies sterilizers are functioning properly by using spores.
What is a biologic spore test?
The container type required for disposal of sharp items.
What is a puncture-resistant, closable sharps container?
The system used to deliver sterile water for surgical procedures.
What is a self-contained water reservoir system?
The four main links in the "chain of infection."
What are the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of entry, and mode of transmission?
The type of waste container required for contaminated gloves, masks, and gowns.
What is a lined, leak-resistant trash receptacle (nonregulated waste)?
The required cycle parameters for steam sterilization under pressure.
What are 250°F (121°C), 15–30 minutes, and 15 psi?
Scrap dental amalgam should be stored and disposed of in this type of container.
What is a designated, airtight, mercury-safe container?
The type of microorganism most commonly found in dental waterline biofilm.
What are Legionella and Pseudomonas species?