Infection Control Policy

 
 

Infection control in health care continues to be the subject of intensive research and debate. The need for an effective infection control program has always been an essential and integral part of the dental practice. Over the years, dentistry, with rare documented exceptions, has been successful in limiting the transmission of infectious diseases during patient treatment. Exceptions have involved the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

 

An effective infection control policy requires the cooperation of the faculty, students, and staff of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Jordan. In order for this to be achieved, education, demonstration, monitoring and evaluation must take place, with the faculty, staff and the Infection Control and Committee of the Faculty of Dentistry taking the primary responsibility for infection control in the clinical areas. Students, who are the primary providers of care, will have their actions monitored regularly to determine whether or not infection control procedures have been followed and if they are effective.

 

Dental school clinics by nature have problems not encountered in other clinical settings or in private practice. At the Faculty of Dentistry, there are about 300 providers of patient care. Since it is impractical to effectively supervise such a large group continuously, the success or failure of the infection control program ultimately rests with each individual student, faculty, and staff person. Occasionally, objections are raised regarding the cost of additional infection control supplies and procedures in dental practice. Cost is relatively minor if it is compared to ethical, legal and financial costs of a dentist or a patient developing infectious diseases in general, and hepatitis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in particular, through dental practice.

 

For the Infection Control Policy of the Faculty of Dentistry, please click here.