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Best Practices in Dental Infection Prevention and Control

Overview

More about the information presented can be found in the Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings—2003, the Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, and other CDC guidelines.

These guidelines are applicable wherever dental care is provided. This includes traditional settings such as private dental practices, dental clinics, dental schools and educational programs (including dental assisting, dental hygiene, and laboratory), as well as nontraditional settings that often use portable dental equipment, such as clinics held in schools for sealant and fluoride placement and in other sites for humanitarian dental missions.

Reminder‎

CDC does not have regulatory authority that extends to the enforcement of infection prevention and control in dental health care settings. Dental health care personnel should be aware that other local, territorial, tribal, state, and federal requirements may apply, including those promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. CDC recommends that you consult with your state dental board or other regulating agency for requirements specific to your jurisdiction.

 

Why is infection prevention and control important?

Following recommended infection prevention and control procedures can prevent transmission of infectious organisms among patients and dental health care personnel.

This video, from CDC's Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit training, shows how both patients and dental health care personnel can be exposed to a variety of infections during dental treatment.

Resources

Best Practices for Dental Handpieces
Best Practices for Dental Unit Water Quality
Best Practices for Environmental Infection Prevention and Control
Best Practices for Handling Extracted Teeth
Best Practices for Occupational Exposure to Blood
Best Practices for Oral Surgical Procedures
Best Practices for Personal Protective Equipment
Best Practices for Safe Injections
Best Practices for Single-Use (Disposable) Devices
Best Practices for Sterilization in Dental Settings
Best Practices for Sterilization Monitoring in Dental Settings

Additional resources

Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship
Clinical Safety: Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers
Infection Control Guidance: SARS-CoV-2
Preventing Transmission of Viral Respiratory Pathogens in Healthcare Settings

Source: CDC Best Practices in Dental Infection Prevention and Control