Backing Up the Evidence

Progress has been made in addressing infection prevention and control and decontamination in primary care dental services, but the challenge continues. Following the publication of HTM 01-05 Decontamination in primary care dental practice back in 2009 (Department of Health (DH), 2009) further research has been carried out on a number areas of infection control, particularly around the controversial area of instruments packaging and dating. This influenced the updated publication of the document in March 2013 (DH, 2013).

The supplement publication by Dental Nursing in 2011, titled Guide to HTM 01-05, Helping you achieve compliance with HTM 01-05, received such positive feedback that the journal wanted to support readers with this second supplement on infection prevention. As dental care professionals, we have focused so much on decontamination and the reprocessing of instruments over the last few years that it is important we do not forget other essential areas of infection control.