Personal protective equipment or PPEs are special coverings designed and used to protect dental health care personnel from contact with or exposure to infectious agents. PPEs include face shields, masks, gloves, and protective clothing and eyewear.

Whether cosmetic dentistry procedures or routine dental care, dentists need to wear PPE to protect themselves from bacteria and viruses. Even without the threat of COVID-19, using PPE in a medical practice is required for both dental teams and patients.

Dentists wear the following PPE items to ensure patient visits go as smoothly and as safely as possible:

Gloves 

Touching surfaces where viruses can be present and touching the eyes or the mouth is one of the most common ways infectious diseases are transmitted. That said, dentists must put on a fresh pair of gloves (aside from frequent hand washing) when working on each patient.

Surgical Masks

Dentists and dental care personnel should wear surgical masks covering their noses and mouths. This is especially important during procedures that might generate sprays or splashes of blood or body fluids. Wearing surgical masks should also be done when manually cleaning instruments.

Surgical masks are considered medical devices by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA notes that surgical masks should not be used more than once. If the mask is soiled or damaged or breathing through it has become difficult, it should be discarded safely and replaced with a new one.

Since surgical masks are also considered single-use or disposable, they should be used on only one patient during a single procedure. Surgical masks should not be reprocessed (i.e., sterilized, disinfected, or cleaned) and used on another patient. It should be disposed of properly after one use.

Protective Eyewear

Saliva and blood can easily splash around in some dental procedures. Dentists wear protective eyewear that comes with solid side shields to protect themselves. Reusable eyewear should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. When visibly soiled, reusable eyewear should be disinfected between patients.

Protective Clothing

Dentists and dental health care personnel must also wear protective clothing like jackets and gowns to protect the skin from exposure to body fluids and blood. Protective clothing can also prevent contamination of street clothing. 

Ideally, the sleeves of the protective clothing should be long enough to cover and protect the forearms. Protective clothing should be changed when visibly soiled with blood and other body fluids. 

Personal Protective Equipment for Patients

In the dental space, personal protective equipment is not only worn by the dentists but by patients as well. For instance, contrary to popular belief, the pair of dark sunglasses worn by patients during teeth cleaning or root canal is not designed to block the bright light. 

This might not be common knowledge, but dark glasses are considered a piece of personal protective equipment that protects patients from exposure to small flying debris and dangerous substances. 

While the tiny pieces of debris can seem harmless, the handheld instruments used to remove plaque or perform other procedures can cause the small debris to sometimes travel at speeds that exceed 50 miles per hour.

Both patients and dentists are susceptible to injuries caused by the small flying debris. Injuries can range from scratches to cuts to serious ones like possible vision loss or loss of an eye.

Final Thoughts

Using PPE is just one part of the dental safety puzzle. Dentists are also implementing new safety protocols in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including no-contact temperature checks, social distancing, sequenced patient scheduling, and nightly deep cleaning to ensure the safety of their patients.

About the author 

Dr. Megan Peterson Boyle is dedicated to delivering the best possible patient care. She is a leader in the field of cosmetic dentistry and full mouth rehabilitation in Scottsdale. She understands the anxiety related to dental care and has made it her goal to deliver treatment in a relaxing environment. Outside of the practice she enjoys spending time with her husband Garrett and their three young children. She loves any time spent outdoors, cooking, exercising, and any do-it-yourself project!