The Clean Bite Discusses the 3 Most Common Dental Infection Control Violations and How to Prevent Them

Welcome Back to The Clean Bite!

In May 2026, I had the honor of presenting an infection control class for just shy of 900 participants at the California Dental Association’s Art & Science Annual Meeting in Anaheim.

I’m not going to lie, my biggest class ever. And the good news? I didn’t fall off the stage or throw up. So as far as this writer is concerned… huge success 😊

If you’ve ever had to “teach the experienced,” you know it can feel a little intimidating. But here’s the best part: I had a line of people waiting afterward and nearly 50 questions submitted through my Google form. That’s always my sign that it landed well: People felt comfortable, engaged, and curious enough to ask.

Let’s Talk About the Real Issues

During the conference, my friend and fellow infection control enthusiast, Lori Serna-Pate, RDH, MEd, CDIPC, CEO and founder of Dental Training Solutions, and I sat down to discuss the most common infection control breaches we’re seeing. (You can catch the full conversation in the video!)

Not surprisingly, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage rose right to the top, second only to hand hygiene.

Let that sink in for a second.

We’re either:

• Not using PPE at all

Using PPE as a uniform

• Or not removing it properly (like wearing clinical barriers outside treatment areas)

And here’s the kicker: This isn’t isolated. It’s happening across the country in every type of dental setting.

In Maryland and DC, where Lori works as a dental board inspector, the top 3 violations are:

• Lack of hand hygiene
• Improper PPE usage and disposal of PPE
• Failure to use utility gloves when handling sharps in the sterilization area

Sound familiar?

“When We Are at Risk”

Lori made a statement that really stuck with me:

“PPE is to be used when we are at risk, when we face occupational risk in our work setting.”

Quick reality check: We are at risk in dentistry. Every single day.

Even something as routine as treating a small cavity creates aerosols. That high-speed handpiece (aka…the “drill”) spins at incredible speeds, aerosolizing water and debris. Ultrasonic scalers do the same thing during hygiene visits.

And those aerosols?
They can travel up to 6 feet in any direction in the operatory.

So yes, we suit up differently than our medical colleagues. PPE is chosen based on the risks faced in the work setting or during the activity to be performed. It’s essentially PPE-on-repeat all day long:

• Barriers (jackets or gowns) that cover the wrist, neck, and lap
• Exam gloves
• Masks
• Eye protection (safety glasses or face shields)

Where We’re Falling Short

Here’s the truth: We’re pretty good about using gloves during patient care, but we struggle with:

• Hand hygiene before and after gloves
• Removing clinical barriers when leaving treatment areas

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and CDC guidelines are crystal clear: Hand hygiene must happen before donning and after doffing gloves.

But what do we often do? Glove-to-glove transitions. No hand hygiene in between.

Yes, this is a big deal. Offices have been fined $10,000 to $15,000 for a single violation. They are not playing around with this one.

Now let’s talk about dental barriers (jackets/gowns).

I’ll be honest; I used to wear mine everywhere:

• Front desk
• Bathroom
• Breakroom

And I still see it all the time. Not because people don’t care, but because we’re busy and it’s easy to forget, or we just don’t know.

The Overlooked Risk: Utility Gloves

Another big miss?

Not using utility gloves when handling sharps and chemicals in the central sterilization area.

Here’s something that may surprise you:
About 90% of sharps injuries happen during instrument processing—not chairside.

That’s exactly why OSHA mandates utility gloves.

But here’s the reality in most offices:

• One size
• Shared by everyone (can you say gross here?)
• Poor fit for almost everyone

Employer supplying dishwashing gloves instead of puncture and chemical resistant gloves.

And when gloves don’t fit?
They make instrument handling harder, not safer—especially when you’re dealing with burs, files, blades, cassette wraps, or pouch tape.

A Simple Strategy That Works

Lori and I also talked about workflow solutions, and one concept I absolutely love:

Habit Stacking

This means pairing a new habit with something you already do.

For example:

• Perform hand hygiene while explaining the procedure to your patient
• Sanitize while asking, “Do you have any questions before we begin?”

It’s simple, but incredibly effective.

The Bottom Line

Here’s what I want you to walk away with:

• Perform hand hygiene before and after glove use
• Remove jackets or gowns when leaving clinical areas
• Use properly fitting utility gloves when handling sharps and chemicals

Make It Easy to Do the Right Thing

A few quick wins for your practice:

• Create a team pact to remind each other about clinical barriers (jackets and gowns)
• Install hooks by operatory doors for easy removal and storage during the busy day
• Invest in multiple sizes of utility gloves, or better yet, assign personal pairs

Small changes. Big impact.

I’ve included the link to our full conversation above (and here again!) so you can dive deeper into the discussion.

Because at the end of the day, staying on top of these fundamentals protects you, your team, and your patients and allows you to continue delivering the world-class care you’re known for.

Until next time, my friends—
Stay informed. Stay clean. Stay safe.

🦷✨ — Sherrie, The Clean Bite