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608 Dental Office Safety
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Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is a general term that applies to routine hand washing, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub, or surgical hand antisepsis.

Dentist washing hands at a sink with another healthcare worker in the background.
Hand hygiene greatly reduces the risk of pathogens on the hands.

Hand hygiene substantially reduces potential pathogens on the hands and is considered a primary measure for reducing the risk of transmitting organisms to patients and health care personnel (HCP). Hospital-based studies have shown noncompliance with hand hygiene practices is associated with health care-associated infections and the spread of multi-resistant organisms. Studies also have shown that the prevalence of health care-associated infections decreased as hand hygiene measures improved.

Indications for hand hygiene include the following:

  • before and after treating each patient (e.g., before glove placement and after glove removal)
  • after barehanded touching of inanimate objects likely to be contaminated by blood, saliva, or respiratory secretions
  • before leaving the dental operatory
  • when hands are visibly soiled
  • before re-gloving and after removing gloves that are torn, cut, or punctured

Also, for oral surgical procedures, perform surgical hand antisepsis before donning sterile surgical gloves.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

2-7. What substantially reduces potential pathogens on the hands and is considered a primary measure for reducing the risk of transmitting organisms.