Safety in the Dental Laboratory

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Safety in the Dental Laboratory
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Purpose

• To help students understand the proper use of
  instruments and materials that are commonly used
  in the dental lab.
• To prevent accidents caused by neglect, improper
  usage of materials and equipment, and
  unfamiliarity
• To prevent harm to equipment.
• To prevent injury to the student and others.

That you may develop a healthy philosophy
toward complete denture care.
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If these goals are to be met, it is imperative
that the students show up on time for the classes
and labs and stay until they complete their
projects. If a student does not meet these
criteria, that student will have trouble working
with a complete denture patient in the clinic.
Lab instructors will not step in and do all the
work for you. If you are not prepared, you may
fall behind the rest of your classmates.
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Laboratory Safety Rules
CAUTION Improper lathe technique can cause
personal injury and damage the prosthesis.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Do not wear plastic gloves when operating a lathe
or polishing wheel. The machinery can grab the
glove and rip it off and the chance of injury is
very high.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Use the lathes and polishing wheels on low speed.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Use the central vacuum system and wear a mask
when grinding gypsum products.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
When using the lathe, model trimmer, or polishing
wheels, brace your hands so that they cannot be
pulled into the work area. Also use the safety
shields when provided.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Maintain a clutter-free work area. Materials,
instruments, etc. may get lost or broken or may
cause injury if the work site is not kept orderly
and clean.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Insert saw blades in the saw frame so that it
cuts on the pull stroke rather than the push
stroke. A push stroke can cause torque on the
saw blade, causing it to flex so that it breaks,
injuring you and/or destroying your work.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Keep long hair up or underneath a scarf or inside
your lab coat.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Always wear protective wear (safety glasses,
masks, lab coat, etc.). (You can be barred from
the lab.)
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These safety glasses dont do much good where
they are located. This was not a staged photo.
The student was unaware that the picture was
being taken.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Dont use your red-handled knife to trim plaster
or stone.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
When not using sharp instruments it is better to
keep them covered. A handy sheath can be made
from your excess lab putty.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Do not have flammable liquids near a flame.
Make sure the wick is covered before filling the
Hanau torch.
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This is what happens when the wick is not
covered before filling the Hanau torch. The
student compounded things further by throwing the
torch into a wastebasket. Note the burned out
liner of the basket.
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Note also the scorched clinical smock and the
burned off top of the alcohol bottle. This could
all have been avoided if the student had used a
little common sense.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Using a pneumatic chisel to remove any
remaining stone residue is a common practice by
experienced lab technicians, but be carefulit is
easy to break or mar the denture or injure a
hand.
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Observe Safety Rules in the Lab
Removing positive bubbles with a chisel or
other sharp instruments is also a common practice
by experienced lab technicians. A denture should
be placed against a bench top or a rubber bumper
and a push stroke is used in a direction away
from your hand. Improper usage can leave a very
nasty wound.
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Injuries that have occurred in dental labs

• Broken glasses.
• Cuts, some requiring stitches.
• Broken arms and fingers.
• Severe burns.
• Large patches of scalp removed by a lathe.
• Injuries caused by explosions.
• Broken teeth.
• Loss of an eye.
• (Note Most of these happened to experienced
  laboratory technicians. What do you think your
  chances are?)

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The End
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