GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL

NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09

Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 1 of 7

INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

APPROVAL SHEET
Prepared by:
Name

Signature

Date

Signature

Date

Signature

Date

Ms Amal Bint Mohammad

Infection Control Officer
Reviewed by:
Name
Dr.Hassan Al Mahdi
Infection Control Chair Person
Mr. Zuher Arawi
Quality Manager
Approved by:
Name
Dr Emad Yassin Al Rahmani
Medical Director
Mrs. Jamal Kaddoura
Hospital Director, Co-founder

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 2 of 7

DOCUMENT AMENDMENT RECORD SHEET

Date

Description of Change

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Page Effected

Revision
Number

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

SUBJECTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 3 of 7

PAGE NO.

PURPOSE
TARGET AUDIENCE
4
RESPOSIBILITY
POLICY
4
CARE OF INSTRUMENTS AFTER TREATMENT
4
WASTE DISPOSAL
CLEANING SURFACES
HOUSEKEEPING SURFACES
TRANSPORTATION OF SOILED INSTRUMENTS TO CSSD
6
ROUTINE CHECKED CLINIC
REFERENCES
7

4
5
5

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 4 of 7

1. PURPOSE:
1.1. This manual consolidates recommendations for preventing and controlling
infectious diseases and managing personnel health and safety concerns related
to infection control in dental settings in order to maintain high quality of
infection control standards at all times.
2. TARGET AUDIENCE:
2.1. This is applies to all involved services of dental in the GDC Hospital and all
clinical staff should familiarize themselves with the policy.
3. RESPONSIBILITY:
3.1. It is the responsibility of each staff member of the dental services to deal and to
ensure that this policy, procedures, and guidelines are implemented and
followed meticulously.
4. POLICY:
4.1. The key to minimize the spread of infection is to decrease opportunities for cross
contamination, especially in clinics room where direct care is given.
4.2. To be used in conjunction with GDC Hospital policies and procedures.
5. CARE OF INSTRUMENTS AFTER TREATMENT:
5.1. Wear new clean gloves.
5.2. Remove used burs from the hand pieces before disassembling the hand pieces
from the dental unit. This prevents injuries with contaminated burs.
5.3. Run high speed for 20-30 seconds, oil and run hand piece again before removing
from the unit.
5.4. Remove all instruments and place them on a tray.
5.5. Remove all barriers from dental unit.
5.6. If required spray any instruments with disinfectant/enzyme solution before taking
to CSSD.
5.7. Place instruments in covered container/tray and take to the CSSD
decontamination area for processing.
6. WASTE DISPOSAL:

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 5 of 7

6.1. Dispose of used suction tips, saliva ejectors and air-water syringe tips.
6.2. Place all contaminated waste in the yellow\red bags and all non contaminated
waste Black\white bag
6.3. Place all needles and sharp objects in a puncture resistant sharps container, which
should be filled either up to the line or only two thirds capacity
6.4. All rubbish bins should be filled to capacity only
6.5. Flush through the waterlines of hand pieces, ultrasonic scalers, and air-water
syringes for 20-30 seconds.
6.6. Flush suction through with water after every patient to clean the inside of the
suction of residual micro-organisms.
7. CLEANING SURFACES:
7.1. All surfaces of the dental unit that are not barrier protected must be wiped down
with disinfectant wipes/intermediate-level disinfectant including spittoon, hand
piece cradle etc.
7.2. If using spray disinfectant masks must be worn.
7.3. Work from clean to dirty. This is a basic principle of infection control. In this
instance it refers to touching clean body sites or surfaces before you touch dirty
or heavily contaminated areas. Limit opportunities for touch contamination
protect yourself, others, and environmental surfaces.
7.4. "Dirty to Dirty-Clean to Clean" That is, contaminated surfaces only touch other
contaminated surfaces: your bare hand, which is clean, touches only clean areas
e.g. inside the other glove.
8. HOUSEKEEPING SURFACES:
8.1. CDC has divided non critical surfaces in dental offices into clinical contact and
housekeeping surfaces. Clinical contact surfaces are surfaces that might be
touched frequently with gloved hands during patient care or that might become
contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious material and
subsequently contact instruments, hands, gloves, or devices (e.g., light handles,
switches, dental X-ray equipment, chair-side computers). Barrier protective
coverings (e.g., clear plastic wraps) can be used for these surfaces, particularly
those that are difficult to clean (e.g., light handles, chair switches). The
coverings should be changed when visibly soiled or damaged and routinely
(e.g., between patients). Protected surfaces should be disinfected at the end of
each day or if contamination is evident. If not barrier-protected, these surfaces
should be disinfected between patients with an intermediate-disinfectant (i.e.,
EPA-registered hospital disinfectant with tuberculocidal claim) or low-level
disinfectant (i.e., EPA-registered hospital disinfectant with an HBV and HIV
label claim).

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 6 of 7

8.2. Most housekeeping surfaces need to be cleaned only with a detergent and water
or an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, depending of the nature of the
surface and the type and degree of contamination. When housekeeping surfaces
are visibly contaminated by blood or body substances, however, prompt
removal and surface disinfection is a sound infection control practice and
required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
8.3. Clean housekeeping surfaces with a detergent and water or an EPA or CE
registered hospital disinfectant /detergent on a routine basis depending on the
nature of the surface and type and degree of contamination and as appropriate,
based on the location in the facility, and when visibly soiled. Clean mops and
cloths after use and allow drying before reuse or using single use disposable
mop heads or cloths. Prepare fresh cleaning or EPA or CE registered
disinfectant solutions daily and as instructed by the manufacturer. Clean walls
blinds and window curtains in patients care areas when they are visibly dusty or
soiled.
9. TRANSPORTATION OF SOILED INSTRUMENTS TO CSSD:
9.1. Remove your gloves, wash hands, may use one gloved hand to carry tray to
dispensary area but not necessary.
9.2. Deliver the tray/boxes to the designated dirty area.
9.3. During transport to the dispensary area contaminated instruments should be
carried in an enclosed container.
10. ROUTINE CHECKED CLINIC:
10.1.

Hand pieces, expel water for a minimum 30 seconds, remove burs, remove
hand pieces and transport to CSSD for sterilization.
10.2. Dental chair and stools have been sprayed with disinfectant spray-wipe-spray
and leave technique.
10.3. Mobile dental cart, check for loose bottle tops, replenish stock if required and
for general neatness.
10.4. PPE are all in place.
10.5. Suction run cleaning and disinfecting solution through HVE and saliva
ejector hoses (1 litre is recommended).
10.6. Spittoon pour cleaning and disinfecting solution through system (1 litre is
recommended)
10.7. Amalgam clean trap thoroughly.
10.8. Chair is in the raised position.
10.9. Units chair and power units are switched off.
10.10. Clinic check for overall neatness and cleanliness of the clinic from top to
bottom.

GULF DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

HOSPITAL
NURSING POLICY

TITLE: INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL UNIT

Department
Section
Distribution

: Medical Management
: Infection Control
: Hospital Wide

Policy No: MED-DEN-P0003/09
Issue Date : March 2009
Revision No.: 02
Revision Date : July 2012
Next Revision : July 2014
Page 7 of 7

10.11. Once the Dentist and Dental Nurse are finished for the day, after infection
control practices have been completed, the Dentist and Dental Nurse may
change from clinic attire into street clothes.
11. REFERENCES:
11.1.
11.2.
11.3.
11.4.
11.5.
11.6.

CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings

December 19, 2003
Disclaimer: The contents of Guidelines for Infection Control were gathered
from CDC, OSAP, ADA and OSHA. Care has been taken to confirm the
accuracy of the information present.
www.cdc.gov
www.osap.org
www.ada.org
www.osha.gov