Amanda
Preventing infection is a high priority at any medical facility, including dental practices. Apart from dentists and surgeons, even dental assistants need to be aware of all the infection control and prevention protocols.
While you can become a dental assistant without a license in many states, proper education provides you with the knowledge to ensure everyone’s safety with the best infection control practices. That’s why RDA programs in Californian cities including Redwood, Palo Alto, San Carlos, and Santa Cruz are getting more popular over the years.
Here’s Why RDA Training Courses Include Infection Control In The Regiment:
Contain Bacterial Growth
Bacteria is the most abundant and quick-growing organism on the planet. While a sneeze or cough may seem inconsequential, a tiny bacteria colony on an unsanitary surface can quickly grow under the right conditions. It then spreads through the air, direct contact, and all other possible means to endanger everyone’s health.
That’s why it’s important to control and prevent bacteria growth with effective sterilization techniques. When you enroll in a reputable RDA program, you get to learn about sterilization methods and are taught to follow infection control protocols to maintain a safe workplace.
Containing The Spread of Other Pathogens
Bacteria aren’t the only micro-organisms you need to look out for. While viruses, parasites, and fungi can’t grow outside a living host effectively, they can wreak havoc once inside your system. They can be spread indirectly or through direct contact and make you very sick while transmitting to other hosts.
Proper infection control protocols help to avoid such situations. If you are an unlicensed dental assistant who needs to brush up on those protocols, join an online RDA course in California.
Prevent Outbreaks
Poor infection control can often cause disease outbreaks that can have devastating consequences on a small city or the entire planet. Everyone has lived through the pandemic, and no one wants an outbreak to turn into a worldwide pandemic. Outbreaks can lead to longer patient stays and overworked dental professionals.
Moreover, you risk the loss of reputation and career when the outbreak is traced back to you. In the worst-case scenario, you would be out of a job and blacklisted from your industry while paying lawyers to fight litigation cases filed against you. No wonder infection prevention and control is a top priority in dental clinics.
Specific prevention control methods may vary depending on the location. Regulations in one state may state that you stick to stricter prevention control methods while others have laxer standards.
Common Infection Prevention and Control Protocols Taught At RDA Programs:
1. Sterilizing Instruments
Dental assistants are tasked to keep medical equipment properly sterilized. They are taught about the importance of sterilizing equipment during their training program and are strictly instructed to disinfect and sterilize tools and instruments before and after each patient visit. That includes surface sterilization to prevent the spread of infection.
2. Germ-Free Hands
Washing hands is also extremely critical before seeing each patient. Dentists, surgeons, and dental assistants also wash their hands thoroughly before and after wearing gloves. Keeping your hands clean is one of the best methods to stop the spread of germs when you see several patients every day.
3. PPE
Dental assistant students are also instructed on the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like eyewear, masks, gloves, and more. You’ll learn how to wear PPE and help patients, dentists, and surgeons to wear PPE without contamination.
4. Barrier Techniques
When infection is not preventable, dental assistants need to take all the necessary measures to control it. That’s where barrier techniques come in. Students are taught to use equipment and disposable barriers to help limit contamination and make cleaning a less taxing process.
5. Patient Screening and Isolation
You don’t want sick patients with infections to enter the dental office without any supervision. Most certified dental assistant programs teach you how to screen patients with proper precautions and isolate those who are at a high risk of spreading infection. During your practical training, you may learn to use specialized equipment like high-volume evacuators and dental dams.
6. Regulatory Compliance
As mentioned above, while RDA programs share common infection control protocols, dental assisting students also need to learn about regulatory guidelines on the local, state, and federal levels. For instance, in Californian cities like Mountain View, Salinas, and San Jose, you need to stick to Regulation Section 1005 which dictates the minimum standards of infection control that need to be followed by dental health professionals.
Apart from that, you also need to follow the guidelines set by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We are premier institution in California that will train you on infection control and equip you with all the necessary skills to help you become a registered dental assistant. That’s why they consistently show up as a recommendation when you look for “dental assistant school near me”.
Infection control is crucial for any dental office and dental assistants must stay up to date with evolving infection control guidelines and recommendations. That’s where dental assistant schools can help.
