Survey of the Managment of Infection Control in Dental Practice

The requirement for a well managed infection prevention and control system in any premises delivering healthcare has become both a public and political concern. Staff in dental practices are required to fulfil the roles of Risk Management, Infection Control and Clinical Governance Committees as well as providing direct patient care. Objectives: To assess the levels of management of infection control in general dental practice. Methods: Staff working in 179 general dental practices were interviewed within their surgeries as part of a national survey on the decontamination of instruments in dental practice. Results: Only 26% of dental nurses and 46% of dentists understood the symbol for single use. The BDA Advice Sheet A12 was used unmodified by 45% of those interviewed. Seventy per cent claimed that there was a management policy for infection control within the practice but only 50% of practices had a documented policy. Only 9% of staff had a written job description that included infection control, comprising 12.5% of the associates, 15% of vocational trainees and 45% of dental nurses. Sixteen per cent of practices had effective policy control of infection control documentation. Regular Infection Control Meetings were held by 16% of practices, of which 22% occurred on an annual basis and 55% when required. With respect to staff meetings, 46% were minuted and for 48% any decisions that were taken were recorded. Conclusions: Many practices lack an appropriately managed infection control system. There is a need for an effective management system applicable for the limited resources within a general dental practice environment. Study funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department.