Infection Control

Infection control procedures are precautions taken in health care settings to prevent the spread of disease.  It is our goal to support dental professionals in implementing guidelines and recommendations as part of everyday practice, while supporting efforts to maintain the highest level of safety and wellbeing for the health care professional and the dental patient.  The Tennessee Department of Health, Oral Health Services wants to help increase awareness to available resources for infection control practices in the dental setting.  Although the basic principles of infection control remain unchanged, new technologies, materials, equipment, and data require continuous evaluation of current infection control practices.  The unique nature of many dental procedures, instruments, and patient care settings also may require specific strategies directed to preventing pathogen transmission among dental health care personnel and their patients.

Compliance with industry standards is of the utmost importance in all settings and having the ability to access credible resources in a timely manner is critical.  Oral Health Services would like to direct you to the CDC’s “Summary of Infection Prevention Practices for Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care”  here on our website.  CDC’s evidence-based recommendations guide infection control practices in dental offices nationally and globally; provide direction for the public, dental health care personnel and policymakers; and affect technology development in the dental industry.[1]

Additional infection control resources are available at the Centers for Disease control and Prevention’s Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines & Recommendations website by clicking CDC's Infection Control Guidelines. 

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infection Prevention & Control in Dental Settings: accessed 8/30/2017; https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/index.html