SARS-CoV-2 and Surface Transmission for Indoor Community Environments. A new brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the current scientific understanding that risk of SARS-CoV-2 fomite transmission is low, reinforcing the thought that the main route for SARS-CoV-2 is through exposure to respiratory droplets. The authors conclude that cleaning surfaces with soap or detergent is an effective approach to reduce risk of surface transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and disinfectant is not a necessary step for most occasions. Click here to read more. (April 6, 2021)

Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, EPA. This site from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presents List N, a list of products formulated to kill COVID-19 products. It also provides a convenient tool to help you determine if your product makes the list. Interested in using the List N tool to check your product? Make sure to have the EPA Registration number handy! Click here to visit the webpage. (Updated September 17, 2020)

Hypochlorous Acid in the Dental Office. The authors of this review present a review of hypochlorous acid for regular use in a variety of applications to kill SARS-CoV-2 in the oral-maxillofacial clinic. Typically used in other industries, they found the disinfectant may be also be an acceptable choice for the dental clinic. To read about hypochlorous acid use in the dental clinic, click here. (June 18, 2020)

Sterilizing Practices: Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, CDC. This resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) addresses disinfection and sterilization procedures in the clinic environment. Click here to visit the site and read about sterilizing processes for maintaining a safe clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. (April 28, 2020)

Do UV light sanitizing wands and boxes kill coronavirus (COVID-19)? An article from Consumer Lab explains what you should know when considering using UV light to kill SARS-CoV-2, if it is effective for your purposes, and how to protect yourself from injury when using. Ready to learn more? Click here.  (April 28, 2020)

Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003. Discover the answers to your sterilization and disinfection questions with this comprehensive guidance document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Page 20 tackles patient care items and special considerations can be found on page 30. To access this infection control guide, click here. (April 28, 2020)

Decontamination of N-95 Masks, NIH. This news release from the National Institutes of Health reports on a study out of the agency that identified three ways to effectively decontaminate N-95 respirators for limited re-use. Effective decontamination methods included vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP), 70-degree Celsius dry heat, and ultraviolet light. To access the article, click here. (April 28, 2020)

How to Choose and Use Environmental Surface Disinfectants. This article from Clinicians' Report is helpfully laid out in Q&A format. Backed by sound research, it addresses topics that could be problematic to the safety of the dental clinic if not considered. Click here to read. (April 15, 2020)