Thoroughly updated, this new edition ensures all members of the dental team are up to speed on the practical aspects of infection prevention and control. It provides step-by-step guidance on the safe running of a dental practice, clear and concise explanations of the key issues and concepts, an overview of the evidence base, and coverage of legal and regulatory issues about which all staff members need to be aware.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1: Essentials of infection control
• WHY DO WE NEED INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTISTRY?
• RELATIVE RISK AND RISK PERCEPTION
• RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT DECISION‐MAKING PROCESS
• HOW TO PERFORM A RISK ASSESSMENT IN A DENTAL PRACTICE
• HIERARCHY OF RISK MANAGEMENT CONTROL
• INFECTION CONTROL AND THE LAW
• LEGAL ACTS UNDER WHICH DENTAL PRACTICE IS CONDUCTED
• PUBLISHED STANDARDS AND GUIDANCE
• TEAM APPROACH TO PREVENTION OF INFECTION
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 2: Communicable diseases in the dental surgery
• HOW INFECTIONS ARE SPREAD
• RESERVOIRS AND SOURCES OF INFECTION
• INFECTIOUS DISEASES BY ROUTE OF INFECTION IN DENTISTRY
• INFECTIOUS DISEASE BY ROUTE OF TRANSMISSION IN THE DENTAL SURGERY
• EMERGING AND RE‐EMERGING PATHOGENS
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 3: Occupational health and immunization
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS
• BUILDING A CULTURE OF SAFETY
• ORGANIZING STAFF HEALTH IN A DENTAL PRACTICE
• IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR DENTISTRY
• PROTECTING WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE
• OCCUPATIONAL VACCINES TO PROTECT AGAINST HEPATITIS AND TB
• HEALTH CHECKS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OFBLOOD‐BORNE VIRUS INFECTION
• HEALTH CLEARANCE
• DUTY OF CARE TO PATIENTS
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 4: Sharp safe working in the dental surgery
• WHY SHARPS PREVENTION IS IMPORTANT
• WHEN DO SHARPS INJURIES OCCUR?
• PREVENTABLE SHARPS INJURIES
• HOW TO AVOID A SHARPS INJURY
• MANAGING SHARPS INJURIES AND SPLASHES
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BBV EXPOSURE
• MANAGEMENT OF HEPATITIS C EXPOSURES
• POSTEXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS FOR HIV AND HEPATITIS B
• RECORDING OF SHARPS INJURIES
• CLINICAL GOVERNANCE AND ACCIDENT RISK ASSESSMENT
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 5: Hand hygiene
• HANDS AS A SOURCE OF INFECTION
• HANDS AS A SOURCE OF HOSPITAL‐ACQUIREDINFECTION
• HAND HYGIENE AND TEAMWORKING
• HAND HYGIENE TECHNIQUE
• HAND CARE AND PREVENTION OF DERMATITIS
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 6: Personal protection for prevention of cross‐infection
• WHY WE WEAR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
• THE ROLE OF GLOVES
• CHOOSING A SUITABLE GLOVE FOR THE TASK
• MANAGING AN ALLERGY TO NRL GLOVES
• MANAGING LATEX ALLERGIES IN PATIENTS
• MASKS AND WHEN TO USE THEM
• PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR AND VISORS
• PROTECTION DURING CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION
• TUNICS AND UNIFORMS
• PROTECTIVE BARRIERS – PLASTIC APRONS AND SURGICAL GOWNS
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 7: Sterilization and disinfection of dental instruments
• DECONTAMINATION CYCLE
• WHY HAS CLEANING BECOME SO IMPORTANT?
• LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR DECONTAMINATION
• WHERE SHOULD INSTRUMENT DECONTAMINATION TAKE PLACE?
• DESIGN OF DEDICATED DECONTAMINATION UNITS
• PURCHASING OF DENTAL EQUIPMENT
• CLEANING OF DENTAL INSTRUMENTS
• DISINFECTION OF DENTAL HANDPIECES
• MECHANICAL CLEANING WITH AN ULTRASONIC BATH
• THERMAL WASHER DISINFECTORS
• INSTRUMENT INSPECTION
• DENTAL INSTRUMENT STERILIZATION
• SUITABILITY OF STERILIZER FOR DIFFERENT LOADS
• STERILIZER INSTALLATION AND VALIDATION
• STEAM PURITY AND MAINTENANCE OF WATER RESERVOIR CHAMBER
• HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR STERILIZER IS WORKING?
• LOADING THE STERILIZER
• STORAGE OF WRAPPED AND UNWRAPPED INSTRUMENTS
• SINGLE‐USE ITEMS
• VARIANT CJD AND RATIONALE FOR SINGLE‐USE ITEMS
• DISINFECTION OF HEAT‐SENSITIVE EQUIPMENT AND HARD SURFACES
• DISINFECTION OF DENTAL IMPRESSIONS
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 8: Dental surgery design, surface decontamination and managing aerosols
• DENTAL SURGERY DESIGN
• SURVIVAL OF MICROBES ON SURGERY SURFACES
• GENERAL CLEANING
• SURFACE DECONTAMINATION IN THE DENTAL SURGERY
• MANAGEMENT OF AEROSOLS AND SPLATTER
• MANAGING LARGE BLOOD OR BODY FLUID SPILLAGES
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 9: Management of dental unit waterlines
• WHAT ARE BIOFILMS?
• RISK TO STAFF AND PATIENT HEALTH FROM DENTAL UNIT WATERLINES
• METHODS TO REDUCE THE BIOFILM
• CONTROL OF LEGIONELLAE IN THE DENTAL PRACTICE WATER SUPPLY
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 10: Healthcare waste management
• LEGISLATION ON HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
• TYPES OF WASTE
• WHAT IS HAZARDOUS WASTE?
• CLINICAL WASTE SEGREGATION AND CLASSIFICATION
• AMALGAM WASTE AND INSTALLATION OF AMALGAM SEPARATORS
• MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
• DISPOSAL AND HANDLING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE SURGERY
• SAFE HANDLING OF CLINICAL WASTE PRIOR TO DISPOSAL
• BULK STORAGE OF WASTE FOR COLLECTION
• TRANSPORT OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
• BENEFITS OF WASTE SEGREGATION
• REFERENCES AND WEBSITES
• Chapter 11: Transport and postage of diagnostic specimens, impressions and equipment for servicing and repair
• LEGAL FRAMEWORK
• COLLECTING SPECIMENS
• TRANSPORT OF SPECIMENS TO THE LABORATORY
• TRANSPORT RESTRICTIONS
• FIXED PATHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
• TRANSPORTING IMPRESSIONS
• EQUIPMENT TO BE SENT FOR SERVICE OR REPAIR
• REFERENCES AND WEBSTES
• Appendix
• FURTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION