Podcast — Infection control

The impact of the expiration of the COVID-19 rule

How does this impact you? Maybe very little. There is no longer a Texas State Board rule that says you have to follow these specific rules. You don’t have to wear N95 masks. You don’t have to do twice daily temperature checks. You don’t have to screen patients and check their temperature. But many of you have gotten used to the process and feel like it’s best to continue. You absolutely can! You get to decide how to care for and keep your patients and staff safe—whatever that looks like for your practice. 

OSHA is stepping it up

On March 12th, 2021 OSHA sent out a news release that said they launched a program to protect workers with safety concerns. OSHA is stepping up its enforcement efforts and protecting workers’ rights to a safe work environment. 

It’s time to take this stuff seriously and step up your game. Don’t look for loopholes—get this stuff done. We are seeing a shift under the new administration to enforce these things. If you get busted, it will be considered a serious violation. If you’re willfully negligent, it could be up to a $150,000 fine for a single violation. They are out for blood. 

What qualifies as an infection control breach? What is the easiest way to prevent them? In this episode of Talking with the Toothchop, India Chance and Michelle Strange return for a conversation about infection control breaches. We talk about what they are, why we can’t ignore them, and how we can do our part to prevent them.    Outline of This Episode [7:05] What is an infection control breach? [13:11] Have written protocols in place [15:56] The most common infection control breach [21:30] Why training + preparation is important  What is an infection control breach? A breach in infection control...

Why is the role of an infection control coordinator so important? How do you simplify safety so any dental office can appoint an infection control coordinator and properly train them? In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Michelle Strange and India Chance join Andrea and I to talk about the importance of having an infection control coordinator in your dental practice.  Outline of This Episode [2:17] The importance of an infection prevention coordinator [6:27] Who should fill the role of ICC? [11:41] Teamwork makes the dream work [21:00] How to communicate effectively with your team [29:21] Do you need...