Infection prevention is a key activity in the dental office, essential to prevent the transmission of microorganisms and disease among patients and dental healthcare personnel. It must be performed in a reliable and effective manner in accordance with current recommendations to ensure patient safety, and in accordance with regulations that protect the safety and health of dental healthcare personnel. Infection prevention protocols that are effective, reliable, and standardized promote health and safe dental visits. The goal of this course is to provide a general overview of infection prevention in the dental setting.
After completing this course, the reader should be able to:
- Define modes of transmission in the dental setting.
- Describe appropriate hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment during patient care and other activities.
- Review the management of clinical contact surfaces.
- List and describe steps in instrument reprocessing.
