Maintaining asepsis was my first taste of clinic.

I hadn’t even started practicing on a mannequin

yet when I was able to shadow a senior student during their appointment. I was surrounded by clinicians

who knew what they were doing. I stood as out of the way as I could manage in the small operatory

while they whizzed around me. I watched them set up like it was second nature to them. I observed how

they diligently only touched surfaces with barriers when they had their gloves on. I watched in

amazement as they worked as a team to tear down and reset up the operatory to prepare for

administering anesthesia on me. I felt so nervous at the thought that I would soon need to know all the

skills they were displaying as if it were subconscious behavior. That day gave me my first look into

keeping safety standards maintained in the dental office.

There was another experience early on that has stayed on my mind and helped keep me

cognizant during all interactions with my patients, and even my empty operatory. The start of my clinical

experience began with the notorious CastleBranch website. We were responsible as new students to

ensure we were up to date on all required vaccinations and testing. The list seemed to go on forever.

Instead of seeing it as an inconvenience, I really took a look at why it was necessary. Through researching

the different infectious diseases, I learned how prominent they are in the dental field and how they pose

a risk to me and my patients. Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chicken Pox, Covid,

Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis are all requirements we needed to ensure our safety. Many infectious

diseases are spread through the air or through bodily fluids, both of which we are in contact with every

day by being in the public’s mouths. These vaccines are not enough though. Maintaining asepsis is vital

to ensure we do not transmit to ourselves, nor to our other patients.

I have seen tremendous growth through the program of my skills with maintaining asepsis. I no

longer feel like the timid young freshman who is unaware of what she can and cannot touch. I now see
myself reflected as a confident senior student who follows infection control with ease. It no longer takes

an hour for me to set up my operatory. I have my routine down and I know what is required.

During my appointments is where I see my greatest growth. I no longer struggle to know when

to change gloves, what I cannot touch, or how to handle sharps. I confidently move through my

appointment with the knowledge taught to me. I have made my appointments much more efficient by

knowing these rules. My operatory is set for success and my patients are never waiting for me to rework

my set up because it is already prepared according to standards. I can recall all the times I would stutter

around my operatory taking off gloves and looking for disclosing sticks because mine fell on the floor.

Now I am always prepared with an over glove and extra tools within reach. My patients are no longer

waiting for me to fumble off and on my gloves after washing my hands because I ran out gauze.

These skills will be vital to my continuance in the dental field as I move to one-hour

appointments. Staying sharp will keep me on schedule and my patients safe. I know now to start my day

with proper unit preparation, even if I think I was the last to use the operatory. Aerosols are everywhere

in the dental office and even if the surface seems clean, we treat it the same. Patients are no exception.

There is no room for preconceived judgements in asepsis. Every patient is treated as if they have an

infectious disease so that in cases where they do not disclose that information or are unaware of it, we

are still safe. I have come a long way since that first day watching people set up that op and I know I will

maintain the safety standards in my future career. This includes any updates and recommendations to

come from the ADA and OHSA.