While infection control in a public health setting may be challenging, all providers of dental care in these settings must follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infection-control recommendations and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) infection-control regulations. The general principles of infection control are determined by the provider's level of anticipated contact with the patient's oral mucous membranes, blood, or saliva contaminated with blood, and will be different for a program limited to dental screenings, to a dental sealant program, to a program providing other preventive services.
Use of the following resources will assist the public health dental hygienist in maintaining Safe, Efficient, and Effective Infection Control for screenings, sealant application and other preventive services in a variety of public health settings.
- Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health Care Settings, 2003
- OSAP's Interactive Guide to the CDC Guidelines
- Ohio Dental Clinics Distance Learning Module 2-Infection Control for School-based Sealant Programs
- OSAP Infection Control Checklist for Dental Programs using Mobile Vans or Portable Dental Equipment
This information is provided by the Oral Health within the Department of Public Health.