School-Based Dental Sealant Program Infection Prevention Policy

We wash our hands before and after each patient encounter, as well as after any contact with blood or other body fluids. This helps to prevent the spread of germs to other patients and staff.

We wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves, masks, and eyewear, to protect ourselves and patients from exposure to blood and other body fluids. PPE helps to create a barrier between us and the germs that can cause infection.

We clean and disinfect all environmental surfaces, such as dental chairs, countertops, and instruments, after each patient encounter. This helps to kill germs and prevent them from spreading to other patients and staff.

We sterilize all dental instruments and equipment before each use. Sterilization kills all germs, including bacteria, viruses, and spores. This helps to prevent the spread of infection from one patient to another.

We properly dispose of all waste in accordance with CDC guidelines. This helps to prevent the spread of germs from waste to people.

We have a policy in place for dealing with bloodborne pathogens, such as hepatitis B and HIV. This policy includes procedures for preventing exposure to bloodborne pathogens, as well as procedures for responding to an exposure incident.

We educate all personnel and patients about respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. This helps to prevent the spread of respiratory infections, such as the common cold and the flu.

All dental health care personnel are immunized against hepatitis B and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). This helps to protect our staff from infection and prevents them from spreading infection to patients.