Today, I am excited to kick off a series of interviews focused on infection control in the dental practice with key opinion leaders.
Leslie Canham, CDA, RDA.
Up first in a series of interviews that is a joint venture between Solmetex and DrBicuspid.com is my interview with Leslie Canham, CDA, RDA. She has more than 50 years of experience in dentistry and is authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration Outreach Trainer in general industry standards.
Canham offers a warning when it comes to ensuring the highest level of patient safety in the dental practice.
"I can tell you from experience that when it comes to court, a jury will look at whether a dentist had followed the best practices in infection control, CDC guidelines, or their state dental board regulations, or even manufacturer's directions, which provide information on how to maintain your dental unit waterlines," Canham said.
In our conversation (which you can watch in its entirety below), Canham discusses the importance of testing and treating dental unit waterlines (DUWLs), citing outbreaks and cases where contaminated water led to illness in patients. She also highlights the need for proper training and adherence to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and manufacturer directions. The conversation emphasizes the role of an infection control coordinator and the importance of empowering team members to ensure compliance and patient safety.
Interview takeaways
- Testing and treating DUWLs is crucial to ensure safe care for patients.
- Outbreaks and cases of illness have occurred due to contaminated dental unit water.
- Following CDC guidelines and the DUWL manufacturer's directions is essential for infection control.
- Proper training and empowering team members are key to maintaining compliance and patient safety.
Interview chapters
(00:00) -- Introduction and discussion of DUWLs
(02:20) -- Outbreaks and cases of contaminated water
(05:41) -- Silver ion technology and benefits
(06:09) -- Taking infection control seriously
(07:04) -- The role of an infection control coordinator
(08:01) -- Empowering team members for compliance
You can watch my interview with Canham below, and stay tuned for more interviews over the coming weeks on this very important topic.
