[Monitoring steam sterilisation processes in the dental office]. / Het monitoren van stoomsterilisatieprocessen in de mondzorgpraktijk.

In dental offices, steam sterilisation is used to sterilise instruments and in that way to prevent the cross-contamination of patients and the dental team. In order to ensure that the sterilisation process has been executed successfully, every sterilisation process has to be monitored. The monitoring of every load in the steam steriliser is necessary and often even required, either directly (by legislation) or indirectly (by harmonised standards). The complete monitoring protocol consists of controls of the installation, the exposure, the loading, the packaging and, finally, the 'track and trace' of the instruments. For examining the installation, a steam penetration test, such as the Bowie and Dick test, can be carried out.

[Oral health care volunteering in developing countries 2. Providing care effectively]. / Mondzorgvrijwilligerswerk in ontwikkelingslanden 2. Effectief zorgverlenen.

Oral health care volunteering in developing countries based on the traditional Western model does not contribute to sustainable improvement and has, presumably, negative consequences for the local health care system. The oral health care can and should be delivered more efficacious. To achieve efficacious and sustainable results, the 'Basis package of oral care' of the World Health Organization offers a good manual. In addition, the Dutch branch of Dental Health International can support non-governmental organizations in establishing volunteering oral health care delivery programmes in order to improve the preventive care, the accessibility of care, the working conditions of the local oral health care providers, and the medical hygiene.

[Oral health care volunteering in developing countries 1. More than charity]. / Mondzorgvrijwilligerswerk in ontwikkelingslanden 1. Meer dan liefdadigheid.

Although limited in extent, oral health care volunteering in developing countries can contribute to sustainable improvement of oral health. However, it is questionable whether traditional care delivery based on the Western model, which many volunteers apply, has a sustainable effect and, presumably, it has negative consequences for the local health care system in many developing countries. Four i's should be involved when trying to make tactful policy: 1. 'ideas' evidence-based interventions, 2. 'institutions', current regulatory processes and approvals of governments and participating societies, 3. 'interests', incentives and motives of societies to collaborate, 4. 'incidents', unexpected economic alterations in the country or an inspiring successful public prevention programme.

[Sterilization of dental instruments]. / Het steriliseren van tandheelkundige instrumenten.

Instruments used by dentists are often sterilized with steam sterilization. At this moment three types of processes are described in the European norms: Type N, S and B. According to the norms type N can be used for non-wrapped non-hollow instruments and non-porous instruments, type S can be used for instruments specified by the manufacturer and type B can be used for wrapped, hollow and porous instruments. The principles on which the sterilizors are based are described. It is concluded that before purchasing the sterilizor the method of working and instruments to be sterilized must specified. In most cases a type B process is preferable in order to gaurantee to be certain to have an effective and reproducible process.