Cleanliness is Key: How hygiene improves our quality of life

"Hygiene is important and desirable because it protects us and others against infection and promotes health," explained Jeffrey T. Slovin, CEO of Dentsply Sirona. "It affects all aspects of our lives and requires our constant attention – everywhere in the world." Because this issue is so prominent in the dental industry, the latest edition of VISION, the customer magazine from Dentsply Sirona, focuses on and emphasizes the significance of dental hygiene.

Hygiene is of central importance when it comes to health. A prime example here is water, which is used for cleaning, personal hygiene and drinking water. Water was long considered to be harmful; it was not until the 19th century that scientific studies highlighted the cleansing effect of water, which, in turn, had a fundamental impact on society's approach to hygiene. VISION traces this history and takes a look at the activities in clinics, which were initially a pretty "dirty business," as infection protection based on hygiene and disinfection did not emerge until the middle of the 19th century. Hygiene, what was treated back then as an innovation, is now standard practice and its working conditions are now the norm, especially in dental practices.

Practice hygiene: High-quality standards do not mean higher expenses

This starts with the treatment center: The transmission instruments must be kept germ-free, and the hygiene features in the treatment centers from Dentsply Sirona support this goal. Intelligent, automated rinsing programs satisfy the stringent hygiene requirements for instrument and suction tubes as well as for water hygiene, making every day working life easier. VISION offers a historical overview of how treatment centers have changed through the years.

Hygienic instrument processing has also undergone major developments: In Panama, the state health authorities are prescribing the use of Dentsply Sirona's DAC Universal, the combined autoclave for mechanical instrument processing, in all clinics; a measure that is unique in the world.

Hygiene in all spheres of life

Hygiene is not just a term that is associated with germs and infection protection. A key element of practice life is radiation hygiene; X-rays must not endanger the patient's health unnecessarily. In this edition of VISION, Marco Ahonen, a dentist based in Helsinki, explains how to combine a safe, reliable diagnosis with radiation protection. According to Ahonen, the secret lies in embracing technical advances and applying them to practice workflows.

We are also faced with hygiene-related issues in other spheres of life too – this is often not apparent at first glance; take company and process hygiene for example. A report in this edition of VISION looks at how Mr. and Mrs. Ritter (he is an OMS surgeon and she is an orthodontist) took over a joint practice in a clearly structured manner and transformed it into a specialist center.

Not just clean, but also safe and quick

CEREC Zirconia, the new way to produce full zirconia restorations in a single visit, is characterized by its safe, quick workflow. In this edition of VISION, power-user Dr. Michael Skramstad shows how the process can be implemented in the practice and the patient-friendly results that can be achieved.

In addition to user reports, the international customer magazine VISION offers the dentists, practice teams and dental technicians in its readership numerous suggestions and tips for day-to-day practice life, while offering an entertaining read. VISION is published in German and English, and can be requested free of charge from http://www.sirona.com/topics/vision/en/ as a print or e-paper edition.

ABOUT DENTSPLY SIRONA

Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with a 130-year history of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive solutions offering including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world class brands. As The Dental Solutions Company, Dentsply Sirona’s products provide innovative, high-quality and effective solutions to advance patient care and deliver better, safer and faster dentistry. Dentsply Sirona’s global headquarters is located in York, Pennsylvania, and the international headquarters is based in Salzburg, Austria. The company’s shares are listed in the United States on NASDAQ under the symbol XRAY. Visit www.dentsplysirona.com for more information about Dentsply Sirona and its products.