Infection prevention and control

Infection prevention and control overview

All health care sectors are subject to stringent infection prevention and control measures, and dentistry is no exception. This advice provides an overview of the requirements that you must follow to meet the recommendations relevant to the country where you practice.

Cleaning and hygiene

The National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021 requires healthcare premises to carry out certain cleaning tasks.

More about Cleaning and hygiene

Dental unit waterlines

This advice examines the available evidence on whether bacteria from contaminated dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) pose health risks to patients or team members and provides suggestions for managing identified risks.

More about Dental unit waterlines

Infection control

This advice provides an overview of in-house decontamination requirements that you must follow to meet the recommendations relevant to the country where you practice.

More about Infection control

Sepsis

This advice examines how to manage sepsis appropriately, including recognising signs and symptoms, management, referral and follow up.

More about Sepsis

Related content

Measles outbreak FAQs

The NHS released guidance following a measles outbreak in the Midlands and Yorkshire areas in February 2024. The guidance states that organisations should have immunisation status/records available for all staff (clinical and non-clinical). We answer your frequently asked questions.

National Standards of Healthcare and Cleanliness

Download our cleaning schedules, including separate documents for each procedure that must be carried out at different times. These can be modified to suit what happens in individual members' practices.

article collection

Health and safety

This collection of articles from BDJ In Practice explores health and safety in the dental practice.