Q: What OSHA courses do I need to renew my license?

A: The courses needed to renew your license made mandatory by the Dental Board are the Dental Practice Act (2 hours) and the Dental Board Infection Control Regulations (2 hours) which neither are OSHA.

Assuming that new hires both experience and inexperienced know what to do to maintain the standard of your office is risky business. Take the time and orientate all new hires to the policies and procedures of your office and constantly test their understanding of your standard. I suggest conducting a New Employee Orientation for the first ten days of employment and longer if needed, the areas of focus should be patient safety, patient information security, infection control, OSHA, Consumer Affairs and office policies & procedures. The key to successfully maintaining a standard is making sure everyone is on the same page. By the way, employee training should be conducted a minimum of once a year and for maximum results onsite!

Training is a process that improves knowledge and skills and information is the key ingredient for all training. Information must be current, specific to the job, presented by a qualified instructor and conducted yearly. Reducing employee training or looking to cut training costs by doing it yourself is ludicrous. Investing in employee training will payoff many times over and it is a critical element for a Patient Compliant office!

When it comes to dental compliance do you listen to those who know or do you listen to those who sell?

When choosing a seminar or compliance service you should select on the bases of getting quality how-to information from an expert, the kind of information and expertise that produces results and moves your office forward. Stop listening to those who sell gimmicks and produce nothing but BS.  This choice will cost you many times over in fines, citations, and litigation. Remember these two life teachings – “if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t” and “you get what you paid for”

Q:  I am thinking of having a member of my staff write our compliance manual, what are your feelings on this?

A:  A compliance manual is a complex project requiring research and specialized expertise.  When written properly it reflects the policies & procedures of your office based upon the guidelines and regulations from nine regulatory agencies.  Also it must be kept current as new regulations are published.  The fact is both time and money will be spent on writing your compliance manual no matter who does the work, the difference will be how long, how much, and the end results. To answer your question, I do not recommend writing your own compliance manual and I also do not recommend patients do their own dental work, instead seek the service of an expert.

Q: Are dental professionals required to have Healthcare Provider level CPR training for license renewal?

A: Although I highly recommend that all dental professionals, from front office to back get the Healthcare Provider level CPR training, the answer to your question currently is No.  Referring to the Dental Practice Act, Article 4, Chapter 1, Section 1016, mandatory courses required by the board for license renewal is the Dental Practice Act, Dental Board Infection Control Regulations 1005, and a course in Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR approved by American Red Cross or American Heart Association.

When it comes to patient safety the best training and the best skills is paramount – for onsite CPR Training in the Greater Bay Area, I recommend contacting Roland Guy at Critical Care Solutions, 916.226.6053, visit their website: www.criticalcaresolutions.com

Q:  Are onsite seminars better than attending an open seminar?

A:  When it comes to compliance and infection control training I believe onsite seminars offer a huge advantage over open seminars. Think about it – using your office as the model, an onsite seminar now becomes personalized training and hands-on guidance that produces immediate tangible results, something that cannot be accomplish while sitting in a conference or meeting room. Don’t get me wrong, open seminars provide valuable information and positive learning environments, I personally conduct 22 open seminars each year, but some critical skill concepts must be shown and not told; it’s like trying to do dentistry over the phone.

Your Compliance Manual should contain current, site-specific policies and procedures for establishing and maintaining a safe working environment.  In addition, training documents, rosters, and audits/inspections reports should be filed within the manual. Your Compliance Manual should never be a “junk collector” for seminar handouts, advertisements, and unrelated documents, if your manual is a confusing mess don’t except anyone to read it and use it. All employees must be familiar with the policies & procedures of the office therefore they must review the Compliance Manual and postings.

Management must keep policies & procedures current and enforced, during an inspection the inspector will review the Compliance Manual, Posters, and postings to determine if policies & procedures for compliance are established and enforced.  The inspector will interview employees, if simple questions get answers like “I think we do”, “I’m not sure”, or “I don’t know”, the inspector will come to a quick conclusion that compliance doesn’t exist; this is not a good thing!

I had both the honor and privilege of standing before the UCSF School of Dentistry Alumni and present a lecture on Infection Control during their 114th Scientific Session. The facilities was outstanding, the support staff provided excellent service and the alumni was gracious, altogether I say a world class experience for me – Thank You!

Q:  Is it true that the Dental Board of California only accepts Continuing Education Certificates that are issued by Registered Providers?

A:  YES – the Dental Board only approves Continuing Education Certificates that are issued by Registered Providers who are registered with the Dental Board of California.  I suggest making sure by checking out the provider by asking for their RP number and going to the Dental Board’s License Verification website: www.dbc.ca.gov/verification/license_verification.shtml