Your Responsibility: Infection Control in Practice & for Hand Hygiene

Infection control is a responsibility shared by every employee in a dental practice and its importance cannot be overlooked. Given the ramifications that noncompliance can bring about, it is of the utmost important that all dental professionals stay up to date with current regulations and best practices.

In this two-part course, Karen Raposa will introduce participants to infection control principles and best practices pertaining to sterilization and disinfection of patient care items and dental unit waterlines, as well as hand hygiene, all in accordance with CDC Guidelines. Participants will learn strategies to assist them in maximizing safety and efficiency of instrument processing as well as how to optimize the quality of water that you deliver to your patients. Participants will also be introduced to the three elements of hand hygiene: hand washing, hand antisepsis, and skin care. Bring your whole team and find out how seemingly small actions can help prevent disease transmission!

KAREN RAPOSA, RDH, MBA is a Clinical Education Manager with Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Company, working with Dental and Dental Hygiene Schools in the Northeast region. As a dental hygienist, Karen combines her clinical expertise and knowledge of instrumentation to provide education and service to faculty, staff, and students. Karen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of Rhode Island in 1987. She practiced in both general and periodontal practices, and taught as an adjunct faculty member at Bristol Community College for many years. Karen also earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration in 2001. Prior to joining Hu-Friedy, Karen worked in sales, marketing and professional relations positions for both P&G/Oral-B and Colgate. She also held a faculty position in the Department of General Dentistry at Boston University.

Karen’s involvement in the dental industry includes membership in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the American Academy of Dental Hygiene, the American Dental Education Association, the Special Care Dentistry Association and the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. She is a contributing author and co-editor of the textbook “Treating the Dental Patient with a Developmental Disorder” and has written several journal articles.