New CDC training resource outlines principles of infection prevention, control in dental settings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Oral Health released a free, online training on safe care in the dental office and the principles of infection prevention and control.

Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit is a self-paced training designed for dental health care personnel, infection prevention coordinators, educators, consultants and others.

The CDC partnered with the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) for this training, and OSAP will provide three hours of continuing education credit for completing the training.

The training covers three areas:

• Module 1: Foundations of Infection Prevention and Control introduces infection prevention and control for dental settings, reviews existing guidelines, recommendations and resources, and describes the fundamentals of evaluating dental infection prevention programs.
• Module 2: Protecting Patients, Protecting Yourself reviews hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, sharp safety and safe injection practices.
• Module 3: Sterilization, Disinfection, and the Dental Setting reviews the sterilization process, environmental infection prevention and control guidelines, as well as dental unit waterline safety.

The training also includes reference materials and other resources to help users explore topics in more detail. In addition, the training presents in-depth audio case studies and videos that illustrate the topics in real-life settings.

For issues with functionality of the training, including issues with video and audio, images or incorrect or non-working hyperlinks, contact the CDC Division of Oral Health at oralhealth@cdc.gov and write “Foundations Training” in the subject line. For issues about CE credits, contact OSAP at office@osap.org and write “Foundations Training” in the subject line.

The CDC has several other resources designed to improve awareness of and adherence to infection prevention and control recommendations, including:

• Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings
• Frequently Asked Questions about infection prevention and control in dental settings
• DentalCheck mobile app
  
• Training: Basic Expectations for Safe Care

For information on the ADA’s stance on infection prevention and control, visit ADA.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/infection-control-and-sterilization .