Q. Use of Masks as personal protective equipment?

Masks are to be worn when procedures that result in aerosol production are performed. Protection from these masks only affords protection for those particles 5μm and larger. In order to afford even this protection, the mouth and the nose have to be covered.

Masks must also be worn if dental personnel have transmissible respiratory infections.

To ensure that the barrier protection afforded by a mask is not compromised:

• place and adjust the mask to cover the mouth and nose completely prior to placement of gloves and then is not touched again until it is removed. If a mask should slip and it is moist, remove gloves, remove the mask, wash, place clean mask and gloves. If the mask does not require changing, place overgloves, replace overgloves with new ones, and then place the mask with the overgloves and dispose the overgloves.
• change masks when moist or visibly soiled
• remove when patient treatment is complete, when using the phone, or leaving the clinic: remove by the elastic or tie strings, not from the front of the mask itself and discard
• do not remove partially and leave dangling from the neck, on countertops, in the hands, or in pockets - once a mask is removed, it is discarded
• do not touch masks with contaminated gloves