Infection Control In

Dentistry
“All persons are to be treated as if they are infected and infectious”

Presented By : Devashish
What to Do ?

1. Immunization
2. Washing And Taking Care Of Hands (Hand Hygiene)
3. Personal Barrier Techniques :-
• Personal Protective Equipments
• Rubber dam
4. Needle And Sharp Instrument Safety
5. Sterilization And Disinfection Of Instruments
6. Disinfection Of Dental Unit And Environmental Surfaces 
7. Dental Laboratory , Its Disinfection
8. Infectious dental waste management & disposal
9. Handling Of Biopsy Specimen And Radiographs
 Introduction

 Infection : process of invasion of tissue by organisms characterized by their

multiplication in body of the host to produce disease
 Infection Control refers to a comprehensive and systemic program that,
when applied prevents the transmission of infectious agents among persons
who are in direct or indirect contact with the health care environment.
1. Immunization
 Dental personnel can reduce the risk of Getting infectious diseases by
maintaining their health and immune status.
 Dental personnel should maintain up-to-date immunization records that
include vaccination Against :

a. Hepatitis B
b. Rubella
c. Measles
d. Mumps
e. Influenza
f. Poliomyelitis
g. Tetanus/diphtheria
2. Hand Hygiene
 it’s the Most important Aseptic procedure in the prevention of health care associated
infections. Hand hygiene significantly reduces microbes on the hands and protects both
patients and the dental staff.

 Handwashing products include Plain Soap and Agents with Antimicrobial activity.
Example : Antimicrobial surgical Hand scrub.

 The Dental Health Care Worker Should Wash Hands Before & After Treating each Patient
(i.e. Before Gloves Placement And After Gloves Removal ).

 The DHCW’s Who have a exudative lesions or weeping dermatitis , Particularly on the
hands should refrain from all direct patient care procedure's and equipment’s Until the
condition resolves.
 3. Personal Barrier Techniques
• Gloves : For Protection Of personnel and patient in dental Care settings , Medical Gloves ( Latex
Or Vinyl ) Always Must Be Worn By DHCW's When There Is Potential For Contacting blood Blood
Contaminated Saliva Or Mucous Membrane .
• Non Setrile Gloves Are Appropriate For Examination And Non Surgical procedures
• Sterile Gloves Should Be Used For Surgical Purpose
• Every Time New pair Of gloves Should Be Used They should NOT Washed , Disinfected , Sterilized
For reuse. As this May cause Wicking ( Penetration of liquid through undetected holes in Gloves
) Which IS NOT Recommended .
• Gowns : protective Clothing such as reusable or disposable gowns , lab coats , or uniforms
should be worn when clothing is likely to be get soiled with blood or other body fluids .
• The Reusable protective clothing should be washed as normal laundry Is
• it should be changed daily or as Soon as it Gets dirty And Should Be Rmoved immediately
When The Personnel exits the dental office.
• Mask and Eye Wear: Surgical Mask and protective eyewear should be worn when splashing or
spattering of blood or other body fluids is Likely To Happen .
• mask should be changed between patients if it becomes wet Or moist . eyewear Or a
protective face shield Should be disinfected and Cleaned between patients .
 Rubber Dam : Appropriate Use aof Rubber Dams , High - velocity air
evacuation and proper patient positioning should minimize the formation of
droplets , spatter , and aerosols during patients treatment.
 4. Needles And Sharp Instruments Safety
• Sharp Items (E.g Needles , Scalpel Blades,wires ) contaminated with patient blood and
saliva should be considered as potentially infective and handled with care to prevent
injuries .
• used needles should never be recapped or manipulated using Hands . Either A One
Handed Scoop Technique or a mechanical device designed for holding the needle
sheath should be employed .
• used disposable syringes and needles ,scalpel blades, Nad other sharp items should be
placed in a puncture resistant containers located as close as is the practical to the area
in which that items were used.
5. Sterilisation And Disinfection Of The
Instruments

 Sterilisation : Process That destroys or eliminates all forms of microbial life

including spores and is carried out in health -care facilities by physical or
chemical methods
 3 Most Commonly Used Sterilisation Methods used in dentistry are :-
 1. The Steam Autoclave
 2. The Unsaturated Chemical Vapor Sterilizer ( Chemiclave)
 3. Dry Heat Oven
 other Methods Are :
 ° exposure to ethylene oxide gas
 ° Boiling Water
 ° Ionising Radiation

 Autoclave : Efficient Reliable And Rapid Method .
 ° Temperature : 121° C
 ° Pressure : 15 lbs
 ° Time : 15 minutes

 The Materials To Be Sterilized Are Wrapped in paper ,muslin or steam permeable

plastic .
 To Prove sterilization , spore strips containing known no of bacillus stearo-
thermophillus should be placed in deepest layer of sterilizer load . sterilization , then
strips are incubated. Absence of growth proves sterilization . This Check Of Efficacy
should be done weekly .
 The major problems With autoclave are : Excess moisture, air entrapment & Severe
wetting


 Dry Heat Ovens : Uses Hot Air to kill Micro-organisms And Do Not Cause
Corrosion
 Standard Dry Heat Sterilizer :
 ° temperature : 320°c
 ° Time : 60-120 minutes
 Closed Containers Are Used

 Rapid Heat Transfer Sterilizer : utilizes Fast But Controlled internal air flow
 ° Temperature : 375° F Rapidly Circulated within the chamber
 ° Time : For Unwrapped instruments - 6 minutes
 For wrapped instruments