CDC Offers App for Infection Prevention in Dental Settings

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated dental professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others. An important part of a successful dental visit is a safe environment for dental care. The Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC) makes adherence to infection prevention and control recommendations easier than ever with their new mobile app, CDC DentalCheck.

Dental healthcare personnel can use this app to periodically assess infection prevention and control practices in their facility and ensure they are meeting the minimum expectations for safe care. The infection prevention coordinator and other staff are encouraged to use this app at least annually to review policies and observe patient-care practices. DentalCheck is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices.

CDC’s DentalCheck app is developed directly from the Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings. Users can:

- Check Yes/No to acknowledge adherence to office policies or observed practices.
- Review basic infection prevention principles and link to full recommendations and source documents for dental health care settings.
- Export or save results and notes for records management.
- Latest Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations

The Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, available in English and Spanish, summarizes current infection prevention recommendations and includes a checklist that can be used to evaluate adherence to the recommendations. The information presented here is based primarily upon the previously published 2003 guideline and represents infection prevention expectations for safe care in dental settings.

The Summary includes additional topics and information relevant to dental infection prevention and control published by CDC since 2003 including:

- Infection prevention program administrative measures
- Infection prevention education and training
- Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
- Updated safe injection practices
- Administrative measures for instrument processing

The Summary is intended for use by anyone needing information about basic infection prevention measures in dental healthcare settings, but is not a replacement for the more extensive guidelines. Readers are urged to consult the full guidelines for additional background, rationale, and scientific evidence behind each recommendation.

Source: CDC