CDC Releases New Guidelines for Infection Control In Dental Health-Care
Settings
The first comprehensive recommendations in 10
years for dental infection control were released today by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new document, Guidelines for
Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003, updates
previous guidelines issued in 1993 and 1986 and consolidates
recommendations from other relevant CDC guidelines and standards as well as
those of other major infection control organizations.
The new Guidelines use the broader term “standard precautions,” which
are protocols to protect against exposures to blood, other body fluids
including saliva, mucous membranes, and broken skin, rather than “universal
precautions,” which are measures intended only to prevent exposures to
blood.
Developed by CDC staff in collaboration with a working group of
infection control experts, the document contains a review of the
scientific evidence regarding dental infection control issues plus
consensus, evidence-based recommendations. The 2003 Guidelines cover
several issues not specifically addressed in earlier CDC dental guidelines.
These issues include management of occupational exposures to
infectious microorganisms transmitted through contact with blood and other
body fluids; dental unit water
quality; selection and use of dental devices with features designed to
prevent needlesticks and other injuries from sharp objects; hand hygiene
products including alcohol handrubs; latex hypersensitivity; dental
radiology; and program evaluation. The 2003 Guidelines also address
management of personnel health and safety issues in dental practices.
“Proper infection control procedures can prevent transmission of
diseases to patients and dental health care personnel, said Dr. William
Kohn, Associate Director for Science in CDC’s Division of Oral Health.
“This new document provides the latest information to assist the dental
profession in maintaining its already strong record of safe dental care.”
The new Guidelines also consider needs for future research on infection
control. Some of those identified include determining optimal method and
frequency of testing dental unit waterlines to maintain water quality
standards; developing devices with passive safety features to prevent
injuries; more clearly characterizing the epidemiology of blood contacts
and related prevention measures; and evaluating design of strategies to
communicate the risk of disease transmission in dentistry to the public.
Copies of the 2003 Guidelines are being distributed broadly to
practitioners, dental and allied dental education programs, state boards of
dental examiners, and dental laboratories. In addition, CDC is developing a
slide presentation that can be used for training in dental health care
settings that will be available on the CDC Oral Health Infection Control
Web site in early 2004. A companion workbook for the guidelines and six
Web-based training modules also are being developed by the Organization for
Safety & Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) under a CDC cooperative agreement. Once
completed, OSAP will make these materials available at
www.osap.org.*
The CDC Division of Oral Health seeks to improve the oral health of
communities by extending the use of proven strategies to prevent oral
diseases, enhancing monitoring of oral diseases, strengthening the nation’s
oral health capacity, and guiding infection control in dentistry both
domestically and internationally. The full report, Guidelines for
Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003, can be found at
www.cdc.gov/mmwr. For more
information about infection control practices in dental care settings,
please visit our Web site at
www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol.
Related Links
Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care
Settings, 2003. MMWR, December 19, 2003:52(RR-17).
* Links to non-Federal organizations are
provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an
endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none
should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this link.
Historical Document
Page last reviewed: June 1, 2007
Content source:
Division of Oral Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
