Jessica Fagan, a full-time dental hygiene instructor at Carrington College in Sacramento, California, recently authored a piece that was published in several dental trade publications including Dimensions of Dental Hygiene magazine and Decisions in Dentistry. The piece titled “How to Avoid Counterfeit N95 Respirators,” discusses ways in which oral health professionals, who must adhere to stricter recommendations related to personal protective equipment (PPE), can avoid ineffective or counterfeit N95 respirators.
A majority of dental practices take the necessary precautions to make sure they’re receiving the correct N95 respirators for their employees. However, some companies have been misleading in their claims that their respirators will filter the necessary 95% of particles, which can put their employees at risk.
“Studies recently performed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NIOSH-NPPTL) demonstrated that out of the 194 products tested, only 42% achieved filtration efficiency greater than 95%,” says Fagan. “That is a 58% fail rate, which is disconcerting in a time of crisis.”
To help address this problem, Fagan discusses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines on how to determine whether a respirator will provide the expected level of protection along with some tips dental professionals should keep in mind.
Here is a link to the full article and more information on How to Avoid Counterfeit N95 Respirators.
Learn more about the Dental Hygiene program at Carrington College.