From the impact of reprocessing devices and instruments in interrupting the chain of infection to the knowledge why each step of the reprocessing workflow is of highest importance.
From an overview of all necessary norms and guidelines to a quick and helpful step-by-step guidance through your daily reprocessing routine.
From scientific background to practical tips and tricks.
The W&H AIMS Workflow – from 130 years of experience in research, development and production of dental solutions to a virtual 24 hour-tool in terms of infection prevention. Because people have priority.
We know, you are always ensuring proper hygiene and maintenance in your daily work (in your practice) and thus the well-being of your patients and finally your own health.
Please contribute to your personal protection by using protective equipment:
wear mask, gloves, safety goggles and protective clothes
wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water
avoid shaking hands and hugging, give a smile instead
use appropriate hand disinfection after treatment of potentially infectious patients
Regular hand hygiene including the maintenance of the intact skin are one of the most important things to avoid any kind of infection. It means no more than washing hands with soap and water and/or the use of alcohol-based hand rubs for disinfection.
Take special attention to an intact skin. Dermatitis, cracks, cuts or abrasion open the way for bacteria. Barrier cremes can also trap agents under them.
Use occlusive dressings to protect non-intact skin.
Wear heavy duty utility gloves during the whole reprocessing process.
Take special care when handling sharps and needles. Put them in an appropriate container right after use.
Protective clothing protects at all activities with a particular risk of infection.
Protective clothing is worn as re-usable or disposable clothing in addition to practice clothing. For example, washable and disinfectable rubber aprons for pre-cleaning medical devices; or long-sleeved sterile scrubs, particularly suitable for the treatment of potentially infectious patients.
Practice clothing does not offer any special protection and must be changed daily or in case of visible dirt or contamination. Especially at treatments with aerosol containing pathogens, contamination occurs and the corresponding hygienic preparation (thermal or chemothermal) is required.
This is where the universal applicability of class B sterilizers comes into play: Put your scrubs into the Lisa sterilizer – program B-Universal 121 for porous loads – for blocking micro-organism!*
Good hygiene management is an essential part of everyday work in dental practices.
Especially nowadays, the focus on hygiene and protective measures for patients and staff has increased. Wearing protective masks and protective clothing are two important measures to reduce the risk of infection in the practice and during dental treatment.
Possible risks of infection also include the "aerosols" released during dental treatment. The right protective gear can help to keep patients and staff safe.
The chain of infection is the way of transmitting an infection from one host to another. Hosts can be humans, animals, but also other environmental components. The transfer can take place mutually.
The good news: The risks of infection in dental practices can be significantly reduced by strictly following the reprocessing process as well as personal hygiene protocol.
The common mechanisms of transmission in healthcare settings, including dental practice are:
Direct transmission: e.g. direct contact with soil, inoculation into skin or mucosa, droplets
Indirect transmission: e.g. unclean hands and fingers, inoculation by contaminated instruments, sprays or splashes from e.g. dental aerosols, syringe, fomite born, airborne
The W&H AIMS Workflow focuses on interrupting the means of transmission via contaminated instruments and materials.
There are many norms around the reprocessing of medical devices. For a general overview please click here.
Please also keep yourself up to date regarding local guidelines and norms.
Protect yourself, your patients and environment - by following some simple rules regarding waste management or water quality.
Healthy environment – healthy nature!
Save yourself, your patients and nature by
perfectly organized waste management
environmentally friendly water reprocessing systems
checking the environmental friendliness of your packaging material
technical service at regular intervals to extend the lifespan of your products
using automated solutions like thermal washer disinfectors and steam sterilizers for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of heat resistant items (please note the related instruction for use) as they are more effective and environmentally friendly.
Buying a product - what you should keep in mind in terms of infection prevention:
Quality management is essential. Working with validated products and processes enables to increase the safety in your dental office.
Ensure that all reusable medical devices you wish to buy can be decontaminated within the existing reprocessing process. Review the related instruction for use already before buying. If using a W&H product, please find the related instructions for use here.
Pay special attention to the certification of the product, which must correlate with ISO 17664, “Processing of health care products – Information to be provided by the medical device manufacturer for the processing of medical devices”. All W&H products are certified accordingly to ISO 17664 and, of course, are also CE-marked.
Use or buy disposables if the full reprocessing process from re-usable products is not guaranteed.
Make sure, re-usable items obtain maintenance in technical service in regular intervals, following the related manufacturer’s guidelines.
As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of handpieces, turbines and contra-angles we know want to help extending their life span to a maximum. All of them are made of many different parts that work together in a precise, complex way. To guarantee that all parts work for a long time it is necessary to maintain and lubricate them carefully in regular intervals as well as using original spare-parts.
Units like our AssistinaTwin help to reduce the effort of maintenance and lubrication to a minimum. Thanks to innovative technology it cleans spray channels and lubricates all gear parts in record time.
Careful drying after cleaning and disinfection also helps reducing the risk of any corrosion.
And last but not least: Technical Services in regular intervals make sure that sustainability in terms of a long living product is given.
W&H ioDent® helps saving time for your patients by reducing organizational procedures like the paper documentation of your reprocessing process. Get connected!
For a seamless and interactive online experience of our multimedia content (e.g. videos, maps), please accept the storage of the necessary cookies (YouTube, MovingImage - detailed information on these cookies can be found in the imprint/data protection) for marketing purposes.
For a seamless and interactive online experience of our multimedia content (e.g. videos, maps), please accept the storage of the necessary cookies (YouTube, MovingImage - detailed information on these cookies can be found in the imprint/data protection) for marketing purposes.
W&H United Kingdom
