Infection Control and Prevention to the Prevent Spread of Respiratory Diseases

Fall 2023 is upon us. The weather is slowly starting to cool. The days are getting shorter. With that, comes more circulating respiratory viruses. Recently, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has pressed information about being prepared for the triple threat of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19. To that end, besides following CDC vaccination recommendations for dental healthcare personnel (DHCP), it is important to continue to follow standard infection control procedures (in California, at a minimum, follow the Dental Board of California’s (DBC’s) infection control requirements) to prevent disease transmission in dental offices.

• Deferring dental treatment if patients are sick
• Good hand hygiene
• Cough and sneeze etiquette
• Personal protective equipment
• Proper instrument processing and sterilization
• Surface cleaning and disinfection
• Dental unit waterline maintenance
• Staying home if employees are sick

And of course employee training is essential for an effective infection control program in a dental office. Following proper infection control procedures, focusing on the above bullet-points, can help to ward off circulating infectious agents and keep DHCP and patients healthy. In California, the DBC requires dental offices to implement and follow a customized, effective infection control protocol, which details the office’s specific infection control procedures.

For our OSHA Review subscribers… the May/June 2023 Training Document, in Section VIII of the OSHA Review binder, covers the DBC’s mandatory Infection Control Training, and a template infection control protocol form can be downloaded from our website.

Since 1992, OSHA Review, Inc. has provided dental professionals with comprehensive programs to support regulatory compliance and infection control. We are a registered continuing education provider in the state of California, specializing in Dental Practice Act, infection control, and OSHA training.