Simulation clinics allow students a hands-on learning environment that is designed to establish technical dental treatment skill competencies. At the conclusion of the simulation experience, students are prepared to safely treat live patients in the predoctoral clinics. Due to this, standard precautions for infection control procedures will be practiced and treated as if the simulation is in a live clinic.
All PPE, operatory disinfection, setup/breakdown, and injuries are to follow the same guidelines outlined in the Infection Control Manual. Minor differences are outline below:
Operatory Disinfection & Breakdown
- Disinfect simulator torso, head, and Dentoform (when used).
- Empty the water bottle and purge the lines free of all water at the end of the session.
- Make sure that all items are turned in or returned to their storage location.
- Nestle the simulator unit under the countertop.
- Turn off the dental simulator.
- Put the foot peddle on the base of the simulator.
Use of Extracted Teeth
Extracted teeth are occasionally collected for use in simulated clinics for education training. Collected of teeth should be cleaned of visible blood and gross debris, then stored in a biohazard marked container with a tightly fitted lid, maintained in a hydrated state.
As these teeth will be autoclaved before clinical exercises or study, use of the most economical storage solution (water or saline) may be practical. Liquid chemical germicides can also be used, but do not reliably disinfect both external surface and interior pulp tissue.
Before being used in an educational setting, the teeth should be heat-sterilized to allow for safe handling. Microbial growth can be eliminated by using an autoclave for 40 minutes, but due to preclinical educational exercises simulate clinical experienced, students enrolled in dental programs must follow standard precautions when using these teeth.
Autoclaving teeth for preclinical laboratory exercises does not appear to alter their physical properties sufficiently to compromise the learning experience. However, whether autoclave sterilization of extracted teeth affects dentinal structure to the point that the chemical and micro-chemical relationship between dental materials and the dentin would be affected for research purposes on dental materials is unknown.
Use of teeth that do not contain amalgam is preferred in educational settings because they can be safely autoclaved. Extracted teeth containing amalgam restorations should not be heat-sterilized because of the potential health hazard from mercury vaporization and exposure. If extracted teeth containing amalgam restorations are to be used, immersion in 10% formalin solution for two (2) weeks should be effective in disinfecting both the internal and external structures of the teeth. Any teeth used for educational exercises with existing amalgam restorations must be handled with typical clinical care such as water spray, high speed evacuation, use of standard precautions, and so forth.
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