The UBA Dental Hospital continues to operate, but following the current rules and protocols that are explained in detail in the Faculty’s General Biosafety Guide. Dean Pablo Alejandro Rodríguez highlights that only "dental consultations that are considered emergencies are attended to, to avoid unnecessary procedures that expose not only the dental professional, but also the auxiliary staff and patients."
Dental care is one of the medical tasks with the highest risk of contagion
The oral cavity is the main source of infection in the dental office; professionals work in it and in the tissues that surround it. Furthermore, for obvious reasons, when working they have a distance that is usually less than the recommended meter.
The UBA Dental Hospital serves more than 200 thousand patients annually and carries out nearly 300 thousand practices. What happens now? How is it working? We spoke with the dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Pablo Alejandro Rodríguez.
What protocol is the Faculty following regarding dental care?
The “Infection control” in dental practice follows the current Standards and Protocols that are explained in detail in the General Biosafety Guide of the Faculty, and to which some recommendations have been incorporated adapted to the global epidemiological moment that we are experiencing, the which are under constant review and updating.
Regarding patient care, only dental consultations that are considered emergencies should be carried out , to avoid unnecessary procedures that expose not only the dental professional, but also auxiliary personnel and patients. This way we would avoid cross infection.
In the case of having to make an emergency consultation, the prior questionnaire must be prepared (preferably by telephone). If the patient is fit to be treated, he or she is scheduled for dental care. Otherwise, you are referred to the Health Center that corresponds to your jurisdiction.
Health professionals and personnel should use the dental ambo only within the clinical setting. It is important to clarify that the dentist must change at the workplace. Personal accessories cannot be used for care: such as rings, watches, bracelets, hanging earrings, etc.
The operator should ideally work with 6 (six) or 4 (four) hands. If this is not possible, it is very important to organize the tasks to be carried out, minimizing circulation in the office and contact with unnecessary surfaces. The operator must not move from the Primary Operating Circle, which measures a radius of 1.5 meters, with the patient’s mouth being the center of it. This way we avoid what we call CAS (Contact, Aerolization, Splash).
Regarding personal preparation, the dean of the Faculty of Dentistry highlights the need to use: - Camisolin, over both. - Coping. - Chinstrap. (preferably N95) - Safety glasses. - Latex gloves. - Protective facial screen. Dean Rodríguez highlights that: - Dental shifts should be spaced out to maintain distancing and allow time to prepare the work environment between patients, who should not be accompanied to the consultation. - Brochures and magazines must be removed from the waiting room, which must be kept ventilated. - Alcohol gel is offered for the patient’s use upon arrival, and there must be liquid soap (with antiseptic) and single-use wipes in the bathroom. - In the case of clinics, workstations are separated by a minimum distance of two meters between dental chairs during care. Regarding the care itself, the dean of the Faculty of Dentistry tells us that: - Prior to dental care, the patient must swish with 1% hydrogen peroxide (10 vol liquid hydrogen peroxide in equal parts with water), to reduce the microbial load in the oral cavity. - The professional must work with absolute isolation of the operating field in all cases where possible, and aspirate with high-power suction to reduce aerosolization by 70%. - Within the post-care procedures, all disposable material is removed and disposed of in a red bag. - The ambo is transported in a red bag to the washing site, where it will be washed alone and at a high temperature (approximately 95 C). - Surface decontamination is carried out with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite or 70% alcohol. - Finally, the parts of the body that have been exposed to CAS must be sanitized (hands, arms, face, neck, etc.). |
