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CDC Guidelines & Recommendations

Interim Guidelines | Print Materials | Training Materials | DentalCheck Mobile App | CDC FAQs | CDC-INFO

All dental settings, regardless of the level of care provided, must make infection prevention a priority and should be equipped to observe Standard Precautions and other infection prevention recommendations contained in the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003.

Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings

The 2016 CDC Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care summarizes current infection prevention recommendations and includes a checklist (Appendix A) that can be used to evaluate compliance. It is not intended as a replacement for more extensive guidelines.

This summary guide:

  1. Provides basic infection prevention principles and recommendations for dental health care settings.
  2. Reaffirms Standard Precautions as the foundation for preventing transmission of infectious agents during patient care in all dental health care settings.
  3. Provides links to full guidelines and source documents that readers can reference for more detailed background and recommendations.
For additional references, background information, rationale, and evidence, readers should consult the references and resources listed in Appendix C. Detailed recommendations for dental health care settings can be found in the compendium document, Recommendations from the Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003. 

Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Find the most up-to-date information about infection prevention and control practices on CDC’s COVID-19 page, including CDC’s Infection Control Guidance for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is applicable to all U.S. settings where healthcare is delivered, including dental settings. For more information, see CDC Updates COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Guidance - September 10, 2021.
 

Print Materials

Training Materials

Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit

CDC created Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit a web-based, interactive, self-paced training designed to help increase adherence with established infection prevention and control guidelines among dental healthcare personnel.

This training provides an overview of the basic expectations for safe care—the principles of infection prevention and control that form the basis for CDC recommendations for dental healthcare settings. Learners who complete the training are eligible for 3 CE credits.

Intended Audience

  • Dental healthcare personnel
  • Infection prevention coordinators
  • Dental educators
  • Dental consultants
  • Dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting students
  • Members of the public that want to understand how dental offices keep patients safe
Learn More 

Training: Basic Expectations for Safe Care

CDC created Training: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, a training series that complements CDC’s Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care and was developed to increase adherence to established infection prevention practices.

The slide series is divided into 10 modules. Each module includes a slide set and speaker notes that can be used to educate and train infection prevention coordinators, educators, consultants, and other dental health care personnel.

DentalCheck Mobile App

DentalCheck Mobile App

Dental health care personnel can use the CDC DentalCheck mobile app, to periodically assess practices in their facility and ensure they are meeting the minimum expectations for safe care.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

See CDC's Frequently asked questions on important infection prevention topics.
 
For more information visit CDC Infection Prevention & Control in Dental Settings

CDC-INFO

CDC-INFO is CDC’s national contact center and publication fulfillment system. CDC-INFO offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.