Planning decontamination in the dental practice

Decontamination underpins the efficiency of dentistry and the turn-around time between patients. It forms part of the bedrock of the role of the dental nurse and is a running thread throughout the whole dental team. This thread needs to be transparent with solid goalposts for teams to follow. The Society of British Dental Nurses (SBDN) often answer enquiries around decontamination from dental care professionals and also dental practitioners, always reassuring and signposting to the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05). With patient expectations amplified by social media and increased awareness, the backdrop of the dental practice and how the staff carry out infection prevention and control procedures can often be predetermined before the patient enters the dental premises let alone the dental surgery. Therefore, the planning of decontamination is essential to keep the process running efficiently and reliably consistent.