In safe hands

The last two years may have alerted the wider world to the importance of good handwashing practice, with it being a key tenet of the ‘hands, face, space’ campaign to control covid infection rates – but it was nothing new to those working in dentistry and other healthcare industries.

In England, HTM 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices states that all dental practices should have a policy for hand hygiene as part of essential quality requirements. The CQC also lists expected requirements and recommended practices for hand hygiene.

As crucial as handwashing is for both general hygiene and infection control practices, it can have a negative effect on the skin on your hands. Many dental nurses will know from experience that the frequent handwashing required in their job can lead to hands drying out, which in turn can lead to other skin conditions.