What is Cross Infection?

Cross infection results from initial contamination, which is the transfer of infectious agents between people, either directly or indirectly via instruments, appliances and surfaces.

There are three groups of people directly involved in dental procedures. The dentist, the nurse and the patient. Cross Infection is the transfer of micro-organisms either directly or indirectly between these three groups which results in infection.

Cross Infection Control is collectively all the measures taken to prevent the transfer of infectious agents.

This includes the careful use of practical and effective methods which are modern, systematic, scientifically based and clinically proven to be effective.

To implement successful infection control it is necessary to:

Have written protocolsb based on the Department of Health; Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices
Train all new staff
Re-train staff regularly
Carry out auditing and ensure the effectiveness of procedures
Stay updated with new methods/procedures
Ensure that Standard Precautions (Formerly Universal Precautions) are practised at all times

These measures should be regularly reviewed to establish their effectiveness. They should be understood by all members of staff, and documented in a protocol to ensure that every member of staff is aware of and able to carry out, their designated duties efficiently.

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