Dental Infection Prevention and Control

Course Description

This pre-clinical Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) course prepares dental students for safe entry into clinical practice. Across 12 lessons, students learn to apply standard precautions, perform hand hygiene, use personal protective equipment, handle sharps safely, respond to occupational exposures, and follow essential cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization protocols.

Completion requirements: Complete all 12 lessons and pass the associated quizzes. Practical competence will be assessed during clinical education.

Course Lessons

  1. Foundations of Infection Prevention and Control and Clinical Readiness
  2. Hand Hygiene
  3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  4. Sharps Safety, Safe Injections, and Waste Management
  5. Response to Blood and Body Fluid Exposure
  6. Environmental Cleaning and Chairside Infection Control
  7. Dental Unit Water Quality and Surgical Asepsis
  8. Instrument Reprocessing: Classification, Cleaning, and Packaging
  9. Sterilization, Monitoring, Storage, and Safe Use
  10. Infection Control for Dental Devices, Radiography, and Laboratory Work
  11. Respiratory Hygiene and Additional Precautions
  12. Allergy Prevention, Sustainability, and Final Clinical Compliance

Table of Abbreviations

Abbreviation Full term Meaning in this course
IPC Infection Prevention and Control Measures that prevent infection transmission during dental care.
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention US public-health agency providing dental IPC guidance.
ADA Australian Dental Association The association whose guidelines are used in this course.
PPE Personal Protective Equipment Gloves, masks, protective eyewear, and protective clothing.
IFU Instructions for Use Manufacturer’s directions for using, cleaning, maintaining, and reprocessing a product or device.
ABHR Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Alcohol-containing preparation used for hand hygiene.
RMD Reusable Medical Device A device intended for repeated use following appropriate reprocessing.
CFU Colony-Forming Units A measure of viable microorganisms capable of forming colonies.
CFU/mL Colony-Forming Units per Millilitre Unit used to express bacterial counts in dental treatment water.
EPA Environmental Protection Agency US agency referenced for drinking-water standards and disinfectant registration.
HBV Hepatitis B Virus A bloodborne virus that can cause liver disease.
HCV Hepatitis C Virus A bloodborne virus that can cause liver disease.
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus A virus that affects the immune system.
MMR Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Diseases covered by the combined MMR vaccine.
MRSA Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus A strain of S. aureus resistant to certain antibiotics.