Infection Control Practices
234 CMR 5.05(1) Infection Control Practices. All persons licensed by the Board and all practices providing dental services are required to operate in compliance with the current Recommended Guidelines for Infection Control In Dental Health-Care Settings-2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, as may be amended and republished.
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.