The regulatory regime for infection control in the dental profession has been through a great deal of change and dental practices are being bombarded with information from all directions. So it's not surprising that there is still a considerable amount of confusion in many practices as to just what their obligations are. But actually, when you distill it all down, it's really quite simple.
The Health Act 2008 is not optional, it is the Law. Part 2 of the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections is simply a set of criteria for compliance with the Health Act 2008. What is optional is whether you implement these criteria via the guidelines laid down in HTM01-05 or through another method. If you choose an alternative method you must prove it is just as effective as HTM01-05.
Of course, upgrading instrument decontamination equipment represents a significant investment for the practice so dentists want to be assured that whatever model they buy now will also satisfy best practice requirements so that they are as 'future proofed' as possible. There are a myriad of options available and many choices to make when deciding on the right equipment to buy.
Always talk to a knowledgeable supplier from the start. Ask the right questions to ensure that they know what they are talking about and that they can provide you with the appropriate solution for your practice. Look for a supplier who takes the time to find out about your individual requirements, specifies a solution that satisfies these, offers equipment designed with future as well as current requirements in mind and provides the right after sales back-up and service.
The ideal solution here is to find the balance between achieving the required level of washing/sterilisation as well as maximising throughput and productivity, at a reasonable capital cost. So the best solution for most dental practices is to use the latest generation of washer disinfector in combination with a 'B' class autoclave in line with the EN 13060 standard for the sterilisation of pouched, hollow and porous instruments. They may also choose a non-vacuum cycle autoclave (type 'N') but these are only suitable for sterilising non-wrapped, solid items. An autoclave that has both 'B' and 'N' cycles on one machine is therefore likely to give you most versatility in use.
The other significant development has focused on the adoption of washer disinfectors. A number of dentists have already invested in a washer disinfector and others are planning to buy one in the near future. Typically the others still operate a decontamination regime consisting of manual instrument washing, coupled with a vacuum or non-vacuum autoclave and may still be considering what to do. However, an increasing proportion of dentists say they are looking to move away from manual instrument washing as it is hard to meet and validate the full manual cleaning procedure. This supports the conclusion that there is a desire on the part of the profession to adopt new equipment and practices as soon as possible.
As well as operating to the new guidelines, most forward-thinking surgeries are also looking to deliver best practice through the use of state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, by looking beyond the minimum expected requirements. In this way they will not just be able to comply with current legislation but offer their patients a superior service – surely the desired result.