Dental Infection control Knowledge Base
Our dental infection control knowledge base will ensure you achieve best practice, get the most out of Aura Infection Control products, and protect your patients in line with current legislation.
Dental Unit Waterlines
Alpron Efficacy – A 6-year study
The Alpron and the BRS system have been the product of choice worldwide for the treatment of dental unit waterlines. This pedigree made it the perfect choice for a 6 year study in France that looked at microbiological control of dental unit waterlines. The results of the study confirmed that
Dental Unit Waterline Testing – A Guide to Using HPC Samplers.
HPC Water Testing Samplers are one of our most popular products, currently used in thousands of UK dental practices. Samplers are used for dental unit waterline testing, they assess the water quality that dental units produce. This article will answer all of the common questions we get about our Samplers.
Dental Unit Waterlines – How do dental units become contaminated?
Biofilms containing many types of bacteria have long been known to develop in dental unit waterlines and spread infection. The risk of infection is not just theoretical. The Lancet has detailed the death of an 82 year old Italian woman caused by legionnaires disease. The bacteria was traced back to
The Decontamination Cycle
The Decontamination Cycle – Instrument Pre-Cleaning
The decontamination cycle is the process used to ensure reusable dental instruments are safe for use on subsequent patients. The safe transportation of instruments from the dental surgery to the decontamination room is the first part of this process. This article focuses on pre-cleaning, an important component of the instrument
The Decontamination Cycle – Instrument Transportation
Safe transportation of instruments from the dental surgery to the decontamination room is the first critical step in the decontamination cycle. The HTM01-05 requires dental practices to have safe procedures for the transportation of contaminated items from the treatment area to the decontamination room. This article will take a look
The Dental Decontamination Cycle – Cleaning
In the dental decontamination cycle, cleaning is the critical, underpinning step. Instruments that haven’t been thoroughly cleaned cannot be reliably sterilised — organic soil and tissue residue shield microorganisms during sterilisation. In this article, we take a detailed look at what cleaning actually means in a dental context, the methods
Decontamination Process - Handpiece Processing
Handpiece Cleaning Guide
Handpiece Cleaning How to effectively clean, disinfect and reprocess a dental handpiece. First of all, what is the issue? The dental handpiece is a vital part of equipment in any dental surgery. It is one that is heavily contaminated with saliva, blood products and tissue on a regular basis. It
Handpiece Reprocessing FAQs
We hope you managed to catch our recent webinar with Dentistry Online on handpiece reprocessing. We have received a lot of questions on this topic. So today we will be having a look at some of your frequently asked handpiece questions, answered by our Managing Director Laura Edgar. Do we
Handpiece Survey Results
Dentistry Magazine has conducted the largest dental handpiece infection control survey ever undertaken. The results are in, and they make compelling reading, highlighting the disparities amongst dental practices in the UK. The winner of our £100 Amazon gift card Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. The
Aspirator Cleaning
Dental Aspirator Cleaning
Dental aspirator cleaning and maintenance is a vital task not only as part of infection control procedures but also to mitigate potential negative environmental impacts, as well as extending the life of dental suction systems. Clinical Signs of a Dirty Suction System Biofilm and scale buildup in dental suction systems
Dental Suction Cleaning and Maintenance
Dental suction cleaning and maintenance is a vital daily task for any dental practice. Poor maintenance of suction systems can lead to poor performance of the system, bad smells and potentially patient infection. Biofilm buildup in suction lines and spittoon. Dental Suction Cleaning and Maintenance with AlproJet From the manufacturers
Environmental Cleaning and Surfaces
Surface cleaning and disinfection in dental practices
Surface cleaning and disinfection is a vital part of a dental practices’ infection control procedures. Surfaces and their ability to transmit infections is well recognised, and ineffective cleaning is a known contributor to hospital acquired infections (HCAIs). In this article we will go through the key terms, what the guidance
Hand Hygiene
Hand Hygiene In Dental Practices
Hand hygiene is crucial in preventing the spread of infection. It provides protection against the transmission of pathogens and protects the welfare of staff and patients. Dental practices have a duty of care to ensure hand hygiene is managed in accordance with current guidelines. The HTM01-05 provides guidance for dental
Decontamination Process - Manual Cleaning
Dental Manual Cleaning Brushes
In every profession, the use of professional tools is paramount to ensuring optimal performance and precision. Chefs wield high-quality, sharp knives; surgeons employ specialized tools for intricate operations, and dentists rely on intricate handpieces. While decontamination rooms are equipped with an array of professional instruments, one crucial aspect often overlooked
Manual Cleaning of Dental Instruments
Manual cleaning of dental instruments is still an accepted solution for cleaning dental instruments prior to further decontamination and sterilisation. The HTM01-05 requires a move to automated cleaning methods to achieve best practice, although this does not mean that manual cleaning has no place in a dental practice. This article
Validation
Dental Autoclave Validation
Sterilisation is the final step of the decontamination process prior to storage or re-use. Sterilisation is achieved by using a steam steriliser, known as an autoclave. Dental practices must perform dental autoclave validation to ensure the autoclave is functioning correctly and instruments are safe for re-use. Validation of decontamination equipment,
Ultrasonic Cleaner Validation
Ultrasonic cleaning is a widely used method for the cleaning of dental instruments prior to sterilisation, and offers several benefits over manual cleaning. Ultrasonic validation is essential, as it shows your machine is effectively cleaning dental tools and working correctly. Validation of decontamination equipment, including ultrasonic cleaners is needed at
Washer Disinfector Validation
Washer disinfectors are the preferred method of cleaning and disinfection dental instruments. Washer disinfector validation is a vital process in any dental practice that uses washer disinfectors. Validation shows that your device is effectively cleaning dental tools and working correctly. The HTM01-05 has guidance on periodic validation testing and provides
Legislation and Guidance
National Standards of Cleanliness – Interview with author
Since publication some time ago, these standards have been a source of great confusion and at times conflict. Messages of crisis compliance, dates and audits have put some practices into a spin to ensure they stay the right side of the CQC and NHS. Managing Director of Aura – Laura
ATP Monitoring
What is ATP Monitoring?
Surface cleaning and disinfection is a vital part of infection prevention and control procedures, but how do we monitor the effectiveness of our cleaning protocols? A surface may look clean, but when we’re dealing with microscopic bacteria and cells, how do we know a surface is clean? One method we