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Introduction
Each dental office should have a written plan for an infection control program that includes elements to protect personnel.
The infection control program should have an infection-control coordinator (a dentist or other dental health care professional) knowledgeable or willing to be trained who is assigned responsibility for coordinating the program. The effectiveness of the infection-control program should be evaluated on a day-to day basis and over time to help ensure that policies, procedures, and practices are useful, efficient, and successful.
The majority of dental practices are in ambulatory, private settings that do not have licensed medical staff and facilities to provide complete on-site health service programs. In such settings, the infection-control coordinator should establish programs that arrange for site-specific infection-control services from external health care facilities and providers before dental health care personnel are placed at risk for exposure.
Dental care personnel are exposed to bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other disease-producing microbes during the normal course of their day. Universal precautions dictate that personal protective attire choices are based on the procedure rather than the patient's health history. If the patient is an infectious disease carrier and spatter is expected, gown, booties, and head covering should be worn. HIV is not considered highly infectious, so barrier protection that might be considered out of the ordinary could be considered discriminatory.
Gloves, eyewear, masks, face shields, and protective apparel are classified as medical devices and are regulated by the FDA. viii The employer is responsible for purchase of personal protective equipment.
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