April 2020 Social Commentary
Like Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Facebook page to share your thoughts on posted questions.
WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFECTION CONTROL CHALLENGES?
Naomi Weston, RDH Dimensions Facebook commenter
Educating some coworkers about things that can’t be recycled because they’re contaminated.
Joy D. Void-Holmes, RDH, BSDH, DHSc, AADH Dimensions Brand Ambassador
After traveling abroad recently, the biggest infection control challenge I see is people continuing to sneeze into their hands. In addition, many people put their hands in their mouth and touch things in public places. With simple behavior changes (that cost nothing by the way), we could control the spread of several infections, not just coronavirus.
India R. Chance, BSDH, RDH Dimensions Brand Ambassador
As an infection control educator, one of the biggest challenges I’ve noticed is how fragmented infection control information is in the dental industry. Various credible sources, many educators with differing opinions, so many rules and regulations, all of this can be overwhelming to dental professionals, resulting in lots of frustration, noncompliance, and generational errors passed from one team member to the next. Finding solutions for these issues might help our industry move toward a more cohesive approach to infection control.
Holly Wimpee, RDH Dimensions Facebook commenter
Living in Seattle, I am super anxious about aerosols right now.
Amanda Cole Hill, RDH Dimensions Brand Ambassador
The hardest thing about infection control is getting the whole team to buy in. Everyone needs to do their part—drain the lines each night, agree to buy the appropriate personal protective equipment and wear it properly, etc! There are so many aspects to infection control, without everyone on board there’s no way to follow the standards established. @amandahillrdh
Kirsten Jarvi, MS, RDH Dimensions Facebook commenter
Education, calming down patients, and answering their fears. I send patients online resources that are smart and evidence-based. As for COVID-19, read every morning from validated scientific evidence-based sources. Be resourceful and a rover, not a roadblock.
@ce_rdh
Katharyn Buckingham, RDH Dimensions Facebook commenter
Subbing at offices that are about to run out of my size of gloves, and having a mask shortage.
SOCIAL COMMENTARY Like Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Facebook page at: facebook.com/dimensionsofdentalhygiene to share your thoughts on posted questions. We may publish your comment in an upcoming edition of our new column “Social Commentary,” and one lucky respondent will receive a coupon for a free continuing education course. If you would like your Instagram handle included, please be sure to add it to your response.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. April 2020;18(4):15.
