Helping to improve infection control through innovation and education
Proper infection control is an imperative for dental practices everywhere. This article shares some of the things that the Company’s team of experts is doing to promote its infection control solutions and to provide education on best practices around the world.
Dentsply Sirona offers an array of products related to infection control and with a great team in place, is well positioned to be the dental industry leader in this area. The Company’s Preventive and Instruments businesses coordinate to provide solutions for the entire infection control chain in dental practices and clinics that are customized to meet the different needs of local markets. These solutions help to reduce complexity and improve the reproducibility of infection control measures. Dentsply Sirona had the opportunity to present its complementary products for manual and automated reprocessing at the 19th World Sterilization Congress in Mexico City and also participated in an educational symposium in Mongolia on the topic of infection control and prevention.
Hygiene portfolio presented at international congress
Roughly 1,500 people from 50 countries gathered in November 2018 for the 19th World Sterilization Congress. There was a broad program with scientific presentations and workshops on a variety of topics concerning the reprocessing of medical devices. This was the first time that the congress was held in Latin America. As the only dental technology company among the exhibitors, the team from Dentsply Sirona was very impressed by both the turnout and the interest in their solutions on display. Strikingly, it wasn’t only dentists who expressed interest.
Hygiene experts from large hospitals and representatives of health authorities and universities visited to learn about the latest technical developments for modern infection control and prevention in dentistry.
The team looks forward to attending the 20th World Sterilization Congress later this year in The Hague, the Netherlands.
German-Mongolian Symposium on Hospital Hygiene
Infection control at Dentsply Sirona also importantly includes an educational component. Mongolia has a high prevalence of hepatitis. It is estimated that as much as a fifth of the population is affected by Hepatitis B or C. The disease is often spread through hospital-acquired infections due to a low level of infection control and prevention. Dental procedures are also a common pathway for the spread of hepatitis there.
In 2010, a cooperation between the German and Mongolian Ministries of Health began a pilot project – the Mongolian Emergency Service and Hospital Hygiene Project (MeshHp) – to improve infection prevention in hospitals. Among its goals are to improve the reprocessing of medical devices for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. In September 2018, Dentsply Sirona was invited to take part in the German-Mongolian Symposium on Hospital Hygiene, which took place in Ulaanbaatar. The conference devoted a full day to infection prevention topics in dentistry. A quarter of Mongolian dentists were present making it a success in terms of potential impact.
Representing Dentsply Sirona, Stella Nehr-Werner, Hygiene Consultant, spoke about instrument reprocessing in the dental practice. She explained that automated cleaning and disinfection is generally the preferred option if possible and that compliance with the manufacturer's instructions, especially in regard to complex instruments, provides the best guidance.
Dentsply Sirona continues to actively look for opportunities in 2019 where it can support infection control and prevention in dentistry and maximize its impact.
Impressions of 19th World Sterilization Congress in Mexico City in October and early November 2018:
Impressions of the German-Mongolian Symposium on Hospital Hygiene in September 2018: