CDC Offers New Resources for Infection Prevention in Dental Settings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released a new resource designed to help dental healthcare professionals prevent infections.

The new resource, “Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care,” brings together CDC recommendations from the 2003 “Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings,” which is the standard of practice for clinical dentistry as well as other recommendations published in CDC guidance documents since 2003.

The resource includes tools to help dental healthcare personnel follow infection prevention guidelines. These include a summary of basic infection prevention principles and recommendations for dental settings; a checklist to evaluate dental staff compliance with administrative and clinical practice infection prevention recommendations; and key references and resources for each area of focus including sterilization, safe injection practices and hand hygiene in dental settings.

The comprehensive, user friendly resource can help dental healthcare personnel maintain proper infection prevention practices.

The recommendations emphasize the importance of having one person in every dental practice assigned to be the infection prevention coordinator. The coordinator would develop written infection prevention policies based on evidence-based guidance noted in the new resource. The coordinator can help ensure that dental healthcare personnel are aware of the equipment and supplies necessary and should address infection prevention issues with all staff members. 

The Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings is online at: http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/guidelines/index.htm