This week’s TIPisode is with Noel Brandon-Kelsch and is a great reminder of how vital our masks are and what not to do with them!
Medicom sponsors this episode. Head over to their website and learn more about their SafeMask to keep you and your patient protected
Noel Brandon-Kelsch is an international speaker, writer, Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice and Director of Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene Program. She is passionate about oral health and has the uncanny ability to motivate and enlighten audiences through her unique humor and cutting edge information. She takes the tough subject matter and presents it in such an exciting way that it becomes thought-provoking even to those not involved in her industry.
Noel is an infection control guru and is going to bring us tips that can make use more informed clinicians!
Check out her webpage noelkelsch.com
For your viewing pleasure this TIPisode has been transcribed:
Michelle Strange: A Tale of Two Hygienists presents this week’s TIPisode: Quick and easy tips to keep you up to date, and presented by the experts in the profession. Now, get ready for your unofficial TIPisode.
Noel Kelsch: This is Noel Kelsch broadcasting to you from beautiful downtown Santa Cruz. Today was one of those days where someone didn’t know. I watched someone today take an FDA-grade mask off their face after using a Cavitron and put it in their pocket. It really concerns me because I want to make sure that they’re going to keep themselves as safe as they would keep that patient. Masks are an FDA-grade medical device. They’re made to be used one time and put in the trash.
If you take it and you put it in your pocket, you have now cross-contaminated your pocket with whatever was inside your patient’s mouth. Your patient’s mouth is now inside your pocket. And, when you go to lunch, you’ll be cross-contaminating yourself for the rest of the afternoon. Please take care of you like you take care of patients.
Now, masks are kind of interesting. They are an FDA-grade medical device, and they are meant to be used one time. But they also come in different grades. If you read the side of your box — first of all, it has the number two on it with a slash through it, which means I can’t use it twice. Second of all, it comes in three different grades. Now, those grades: Number one is for when I’m doing that simple exam. It’s going to be a quick in, quick out to see what’s happening. Number two is when I’m doing a prophy with limited splatter. And number three is, when I’m using the Cavitron or creating aerosols, I want to take care of myself. Because it’s got more filtration, it’s going to keep the patient safer, and it’s going to keep me safer.
When I go into the next level, that’s when I’m going to be using a respirator, and that’s an N95. That’s when I’m going to be doing something like using a laser that might create plumes. I’ve got to take care of myself because viruses can be transmitted from that laser plum. We’ve got to keep each other safe. We’ve got to really think about what it is we need to know when we’re wearing a mask. There’s directions on that mask, and we need to follow those. If it doesn’t say on there that it’s okay to twist the elastic band on the side, or that it’s okay to tweak it, then we shouldn’t be tweaking it. We need to be wearing it over our nose and down over our chin. We need to not create gaps by twisting the elastic band.
I’m glad you know now, and I hope that you’ll take care of you like you take care of your patients. Look for that FDA approval on your box because we should not be buying these at box stores or drug stores. We should be getting the product that we need for dentistry. Take care of yourself, and I’m glad you know now.
Michelle Strange: And thank you Medicom who sponsored this week’s content from Noel Kelsch. They make SafeMask. When comfort, fit, and protection cannot be compromised, Medicom SafeMask Master Series offers the perfect solution.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s TIPisode. Be sure to reach out to our guest experts and let them know how helpful their tips were. Follow A Tale of Two Hygienists on Facebook, Instagram, and head over to ataleoftwohygienists.com and subscribe to our newsletter. You can also email us at ataleoftwohygienists@gmail.com, and keep listening for more awesome content from your unofficial dental hygiene podcast.
