,Create and adhere to protocols that protect everyone in your practice, , ,It is the responsibility of dentists to establish a protocol that prevents or limits the spread of infection in dental practice for their
patients, their staff, and themselves.” This statement from the World Dental Federation sums up the safety leadership role dentists have always played. The pandemic just put an exclamation point on it., ,The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other organizations provide standards that you can use to create safety protocols. However, in the busy-ness of daily practice, it may be tempting to skip a step in an effort to save time., ,As the practice leader, you must teach and model safe practice. Consider PPE. In response to the pandemic, OSHA has outlined specific PPE that should be worn in three situations: community spread has subsided, community transmission continues, and patients with suspected or confi rmed COVID-19. Each situation is broken down into dental procedures that may generate aerosols and those that won’t. Review with employees what PPE should be worn and when. Then fi nd opportunities to offer guidance., ,To prevent employees from creating workarounds, ensure you have an adequate supply of all the PPE you need. In 2020, the PPE supply chain was severely disrupted, emphasizing the need for dental practices to work with their preferred vendor to create an ordering schedule that keeps inventory full., ,Ultimately, you’re responsible for protecting your patients and staff, but collaborate with team members. “Working together, the entire dental team can help maintain the health of the community they serve,” said Emily Boge, MPA, RDH, CDA. In other words, the job of assessing and minimizing risk is shared by employer and employees.
