Infection control guides for dental offices covering sterilization, disinfection, PPE, hand hygiene, single-use items, and CDC and OSHA compliance requirements for dental professionals.
The August 2026 issue of Dental Bytes covers a broad range of topics relevant to dental professionals — from foundational infection control protocols to new federal agency guidance on amalgam coverage, a significant FDA approval for over-the-counter pain relief, and…
Infection prevention and control are among the most important responsibilities in every dental practice. Patients trust that their care will be delivered in a safe environment, and maintaining that trust requires every member of the dental team to consistently follow…
Are New Mexico Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and New Mexico's infection control rule is unusual for citing four separate authorities by name rather than relying on CDC guidance alone. 16.5.1.16 NMAC, titled "Control and Prevention…
Are Connecticut Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and Connecticut is one of the few states in this guide where the CDC-compliance standard was written directly into the disciplinary statute itself, by the legislature, rather than adopted…
Are Alabama Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and Alabama's rule has an unusual feature that sets it apart from most states in this guide: the infection control rule cites its own enforcement mechanism directly. Alabama Admin…
Are Utah Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — but Utah takes a genuinely different regulatory path than most states in this guide to get there. Unlike states that name the CDC's infection control guidelines directly, Utah's dental…
Are Oregon Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and Oregon is one of the few states in this guide that states the requirement in exact numeric terms rather than by CDC incorporation alone. Under OAR 818-012-0040(2), "heat…
Are Nevada Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and Nevada backs the requirement with two layers of CDC guidance and one of the most proactive inspection systems in this guide. NAC 631.178 requires every person licensed under…
Are South Carolina Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — through the same CDC-incorporation structure used in a handful of other states. S.C. Code Regs. 39-10 (Sanitary Standards) requires that "all dental practices shall conform to and comply…
Are Kentucky Dental Offices Required to Perform Spore Testing? Yes — and Kentucky backs its infection control rule with one of the sharpest enforcement mechanisms in this guide. Under 201 KAR 8:540, Section 5 (Infection Control Compliance), every licensed dentist…
