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Biomedical subjects

E T Parks

Publications and source records attributed to E T Parks.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Infection control for dental radiographic procedures in US dental hygiene programmes.

Infection control in dental radiographic procedures in US dental hygiene programmes has been investigated by means of a questionnaire and 76% (n = 148) responded. For intra-oral radiography, all but two programmes required the use of gloves during exposure procedures and 94% also required them during processing. Glasses, masks and other protective clothing were required less frequently than gloves. Equipment and working surfaces in the radiographic operatory were generally either disinfected or draped. Equipment and working surfaces in the darkroom were not usually afforded the same degree of diligence in disinfection. Most programmes dried film packets before processing and gave no special treatment to films after processing. Waste products were generally either tied off and marked as a biohazard or sterilized.

Dental Hygienists

Errors generated with the use of rectangular collimation.

This study was designed to determine whether various techniques for achieving rectangular collimation generate different numbers and types of errors and remakes and to determine whether operator skill level influences errors and remakes. Eighteen students exposed full-mouth series of radiographs on manikins with the use of six techniques. The students were grouped according to skill level. The radiographs were evaluated for errors and remakes resulting from errors in the following categories: cone cutting, vertical angulation, and film placement. Significant differences were found among the techniques in cone cutting errors and remakes, vertical angulation errors and remakes, and total errors and remakes. Operator skill did not appear to influence the number or types of errors or remakes generated. Rectangular collimation techniques produced more errors than did the round collimation techniques. However, only one rectangular collimation technique generated significantly more remakes than the other techniques.

Analysis of Variance

Radiation safety and quality assurance in US dental hygiene programmes, 1990.

A 1990 survey of US dental hygiene programmes indicated substantial advances in radiation safety and quality assurance techniques since 1985. None the less, further improvements are possible to minimize operator and patient exposure to ionizing radiation from dental radiography. Conversion to faster receptor speed, the use of rectangular collimation and more frequent performance of quality assurance tests represent possible improvements for some establishments.

Dental Hygienists