Working at a dental office, the likelihood of coming into direct contact with infectious blood or bodily fluids is elevated. Dental professionals must take additional precautions to lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthcare personnel be vaccinated in order to prevent spreading diseases, according to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, or OSHA, the employer has a general legal obligation to provide a safe workplace. Several different laws address workplace safety. Several OSHA standards and directives apply to protecting healthcare workers from infectious diseases. State laws may apply as well.
There are several CDC resources to assist in assessing and reducing occupational exposure risks to infectious diseases:
- Recommended Infection Control Practices for Dentistry
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella Diseases and How to Protect Against Them
- Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities
- Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
- Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings
- Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers
Additional information can be found here: