PPE and Infection Control for Temping Shifts

Summary

For any office to post a temping shift on TempStars, they must confirm that they have PPE and Infection Control protocols in place that meet or exceed the provincial guidelines.

If and when the guidelines differ between dental and hygiene regulatory bodies, if the office is posting a hygienist temping shift, they must confirm and verify that they have the PPE and Infection control protocols in place to meet or exceed the hygiene guidelines.

Dental assistants are regulated under the dental colleges, so the PPE and infection control protocols for dental assistant temping shifts must meet or exceed that provinces dental regulatory guidelines for temping shifts for dental assistants.

We do know, for example, that in Ontario some dental offices are restricting their dental hygiene departments to Non-Aerosol Generating Procedures, eliminating the need for N95 masks, which can be hard to find.  By not having any aerosol generating procedures done in the hygiene department, it makes it easier to follow the hygiene college regulatory guidelines, while still providing much-needed dental hygiene care.  

Dental offices, when accepting an offer from a hygienist or assistant to work a temping shift, must also acknowledge and agree that if a hygienist or assistant arrives at a temping shift to find the PPE or Infection Control protocols of that office do not meet provincial guidelines and must leave as a result, the office is obligated to compensate the hygienist/assistant for the entire shift.