Hand Hygiene - The Key to Infection Control
Prevent the spread of infections in your dental practice by using effective Dentisan hand care products
There have been plenty of headlines concerning the NHS facing a potential ‘quad-demic’ this winter with flu, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus circulating widely, and emergency department attendances on the rise.
Across the country, rates for flu have risen significantly this winter. The flu season started earlier than in 2023-24, with hospital cases almost 3.5 times higher at the end of December 2024 than during the same week in the previous year1.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this season we have also experienced the highest number of norovirus cases - the viral “winter vomiting bug” - since the UKHSA current reporting system began.
Stopping the Spread
Viral infections, such as coronaviruses, flu and norovirus are spread via droplets, aerosols, or through direct contact with respiratory secretions of someone with the infection. Even people with mild or no symptoms can infect others.
Preventing the spread of infection, especially in the winter months as people spend more time together indoors, is a number one priority for dental practices, to protect both patients and staff from the dangers of exposure to harmful pathogens.
Hand hygiene is considered one of the simplest but most important ways to reduce the transmission of infectious agents that cause infections, including those most associated with a healthcare environment, commonly known as ‘healthcare-associated infections2 (HAIs). A dental practice has a duty of care to ensure it is managed in accordance with current regulations and guidelines regarding hand hygiene.
There are several key moments in each day when hand hygiene procedures must be performed:
- before and after each treatment session
- before and after removal of PPE
- following manual cleaning of dental instruments
- before contact with instruments that have been autoclaved
- after cleaning or maintaining decontamination devices used for dental instruments
- after completion of decontamination work
HTM 01-05, SDCEP and other local regulations recommend the use of wall-mounted touchless dispensers for dispensing hand wash, gels and foams. Powered by an infra-red motion sensor, these allow the relevant product to be dispensed in a measured dose, which is cost-effective, avoids human contact, and because it is a touchless solution it plays a significant role in reducing the risk of contamination.
Hand care best practice
The easiest way to prevent the spread of infections and protect hard-working hands is to use effective hand care products that are specifically designed to cleanse, sanitise and protect the skin within the dental practice environment.
A hand cleanser such as DentiWash is perfume and solvent free and contains skin conditioner and emollient for added protection against dryness and chapping.
For added protection from pathogens in the healthcare environment, DentiSure Foam is an alcohol-free foaming hand sanitiser designed to be applied to hands after washing and drying. It can also be used on clean skin between washes.
Now available in a 600ml ready-to-use pump dispenser bottle, DentiSure Foam is effective against enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses and has been microbiologically tested to BS EN 1500.
Sources | 1. NHS England | Tidal wave’ of flu hitting hospitals amid record treatment delivered for patients 2024 | 2. NSH England | National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) for England
