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Continuing Education
Coming Soon
CE Dental Infection Control OSHA
Provides comprehensive training on CDC infection control guidelines, instrument sterilization, surface disinfection, PPE, and OSHA bloodborne pathogens standards, ensuring dental professionals maintain safe, compliant practices.
Who Should Take This
Dental dentists, hygienists, assistants, and office staff who are responsible for infection‑control protocols benefit from this course. It targets practitioners with basic clinical experience seeking to verify competency, meet OSHA continuing‑education requirements, and implement evidence‑based sterilization and disinfection programs. Graduates can confidently audit procedures and train team members, reducing infection risk and liability.
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Adaptive Knowledge Graph
Practice Questions
Lesson Modules
Console Simulator Labs
Exam Tips & Strategy
20 Activity Formats
Course Outline
64 learning goals
1
CDC Dental Infection Control Guidelines
1 topic
Standard precautions in dentistry
- Recognize the CDC guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings and the standard precautions for all patient encounters.
- Describe the categories of patient-care items (critical, semi-critical, non-critical) and minimum processing requirements for each.
- Explain CDC recommendations for dental healthcare personnel vaccination including hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and TB screening.
- Describe the CDC recommendations for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette in dental reception and waiting areas.
- Analyze a dental practice infection control program for compliance with current CDC guidelines and identify corrective actions.
2
Instrument Sterilization
2 topics
Sterilization methods and monitoring
- Identify the methods of instrument sterilization: steam autoclave, chemical vapor, and dry heat and the parameters for each.
- Describe the instrument processing workflow from point of use through transport, cleaning, packaging, sterilization, storage, and distribution.
- Explain three levels of sterilization monitoring: mechanical (time/temp/pressure), chemical indicators, and biological indicators (spore testing).
- Describe required frequency and procedures for biological monitoring including weekly spore testing and challenge testing of new/repaired units.
- Analyze biological indicator failure scenarios to determine appropriate response including recall, patient notification, and root cause investigation.
Cleaning and handpiece processing
- Describe ultrasonic cleaners and automated washers and their advantages over manual scrubbing for dental instruments.
- Explain dental handpiece processing requirements including internal lubrication, heat sterilization, and prohibition against surface disinfection as substitute.
- Describe the processing requirements for single-use disposable items and the criteria for determining which items are single-use versus reusable.
3
Surface Disinfection
1 topic
Clinical surfaces and housekeeping
- Recognize clinical contact surfaces in the dental operatory that require barrier protection or disinfection between patients.
- Describe the use of surface barriers as an alternative to disinfection and explain proper barrier placement and removal procedures.
- Explain the EPA disinfectant classification system and appropriate selection criteria for low-level, intermediate-level, and high-level disinfectants.
- Describe the spray-wipe-spray or wipe-discard-wipe technique and the importance of contact time compliance.
- Explain the specific cleaning and disinfection procedures for dental chairs, light handles, bracket tables, and computer input devices.
- Analyze a dental operatory turnover protocol to identify gaps in surface disinfection and barrier technique.
4
Personal Protective Equipment
1 topic
PPE in dentistry
- Identify PPE required for dental procedures: gloves, masks, protective eyewear, face shields, and protective clothing.
- Describe glove selection requirements including examination, surgical, utility, and over-gloves and indications for each.
- Explain when N95 or higher-level respiratory protection is required including aerosol-generating procedures on patients with airborne infections.
- Describe the latex allergy considerations in dental PPE selection including alternative glove materials and environmental latex reduction.
- Analyze PPE requirements for specific dental procedures including surgical extractions, ultrasonic scaling, and dental lab work.
5
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
1 topic
Regulatory compliance
- Recognize key requirements of OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) applicable to dental settings.
- Describe required components of a written exposure control plan including exposure determination, methods of compliance, and post-exposure procedures.
- Explain OSHA employee training requirements on bloodborne pathogens including initial training, annual refresher, and documentation.
- Describe needle-stick and sharps injury prevention requirements including engineering controls, work practice controls, and the sharps injury log.
- Explain the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard and its application to dental practices including SDS sheets, labeling, and employee training.
- Analyze a dental exposure control plan to identify deficiencies and recommend updates for current OSHA compliance.
- Synthesize a comprehensive exposure control plan for a multi-provider dental practice addressing all OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements.
6
Dental Unit Waterline Management
1 topic
Waterline biofilm and quality
- Recognize conditions promoting biofilm formation in dental unit waterlines and associated infection risks.
- Describe the CDC standard of no more than 500 CFU/mL of heterotrophic bacteria for nonsurgical dental procedures.
- Explain waterline contamination management methods including chemical treatment, independent water reservoirs, and inline filters.
- Describe water quality testing procedures including sample collection, testing frequency, and result interpretation.
- Explain the special requirements for surgical procedure water including sterile irrigating solutions through sterile tubing.
- Analyze waterline testing data for CDC compliance and recommend corrective action for practices exceeding bacterial thresholds.
7
Sharps Safety
1 topic
Sharps handling and disposal
- Identify engineering controls for dental sharps safety: self-sheathing needles, safety scalpels, and recapping devices.
- Describe the one-handed scoop technique for recapping and why two-handed recapping is prohibited.
- Explain post-exposure management for dental personnel including first aid, source patient evaluation, and PEP timelines.
- Analyze sharps injury reports to identify trends and recommend equipment, workflow, or training changes.
8
Hand Hygiene
1 topic
Standards and compliance
- Identify indications for hand hygiene in dental practice: before/after patient contact, before gloving, after glove removal.
- Describe appropriate hand hygiene agents: plain soap, antimicrobial soap, alcohol-based rub, and surgical hand antisepsis.
- Explain surgical hand antisepsis procedures for oral surgical procedures and approved agents.
- Describe the proper technique for alcohol-based hand rub in dental practice including volume, duration, and coverage.
- Analyze hand hygiene compliance observation data to identify patterns of noncompliance and develop targeted improvement interventions for dental clinical staff.
- Synthesize a hand hygiene training and monitoring program for a dental practice incorporating direct observation, product accessibility, and behavioral feedback strategies.
9
Dental Laboratory Infection Control
1 topic
Laboratory asepsis
- Identify infection control requirements for dental impressions, prostheses, and appliances exchanged with laboratories.
- Describe disinfection procedures for impressions made with alginate, PVS, and polyether including compatible disinfectant selection.
- Explain communication protocols between offices and laboratories regarding infection control status and decontamination.
- Synthesize an infection control protocol for dental laboratory workflow covering incoming, in-process, and outgoing items.
10
Program Management
1 topic
Coordination and QA
- Identify the role of the infection control coordinator including program oversight, training, and regulatory compliance monitoring.
- Describe components of a written infection control program: policies, procedures, training schedules, monitoring logs, and incident response.
- Explain how to conduct an infection control audit using checklists aligned with CDC and OSHA requirements.
- Analyze audit findings to prioritize corrective actions and develop a continuous quality improvement plan.
- Synthesize an annual infection control program plan incorporating staff training, equipment maintenance, monitoring, and regulatory updates.
11
Aerosol Management
1 topic
Aerosol reduction strategies
- Recognize the types and sources of aerosols and spatter generated during dental procedures including ultrasonic scaling and high-speed handpiece use.
- Describe aerosol reduction strategies including high-volume evacuation, rubber dam isolation, and pre-procedural antimicrobial rinses.
- Explain the role of extraoral suction devices and HEPA air purification in dental aerosol management and their evidence base.
- Analyze a dental practice's aerosol management protocols to evaluate adequacy and recommend supplementary measures.
12
Dental Waste Management
1 topic
Waste classification and disposal
- Identify the categories of dental waste including regulated medical waste, hazardous waste, pharmaceutical waste, and general office waste.
- Describe the handling, containment, labeling, and disposal requirements for regulated medical waste generated in dental practice.
- Explain the management requirements for dental amalgam waste including amalgam separators, recycling, and EPA effluent guidelines compliance.
- Describe the proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste including expired medications, anesthetic cartridges, and hazardous drug waste.
Scope
Included Topics
- CDC dental infection control guidelines, standard precautions, patient-care item classification, and personnel vaccination.
- Instrument sterilization methods, processing workflow, biological monitoring, handpiece processing, and single-use items.
- Surface disinfection, barrier techniques, EPA disinfectant classification, and operatory turnover procedures.
- PPE requirements for dental procedures including glove selection, respiratory protection, and latex allergy considerations.
- OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard compliance, exposure control plans, training, sharps prevention, and Hazard Communication.
- Dental unit waterline biofilm, CDC bacterial standards, chemical treatment, water quality testing, and surgical water requirements.
- Sharps safety engineering controls, one-handed recapping, and post-exposure management protocols.
- Hand hygiene standards, surgical hand antisepsis, and alcohol-based hand rub technique.
- Dental laboratory infection control for impressions, prostheses, and office-laboratory communication.
- Infection control program management, coordinator role, auditing, and continuous quality improvement.
- Aerosol management including generation sources, reduction strategies, HVE, rubber dam, and air purification.
Not Covered
- Clinical microbiology or laboratory diagnostics beyond practitioner understanding.
- Advanced epidemiology or biostatistics for dental infection surveillance.
- Dental materials science beyond sterilization and disinfection compatibility.
- Hospital-based oral surgery IC protocols differing from outpatient dental practice.
- Environmental regulations beyond OSHA bloodborne pathogens and dental-specific standards.
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