In the UK, dental practices must adhere to infection control protocols outlined in guidance like the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05),[i] which focusses on hand hygiene, use of appropriate PPE, meticulous instrument decontamination, and environmental cleaning. Each of these areas aim to optimise the health and safety of clinicians, the dental team, and their patients. The guidance also highlights the importance of staff training and education for effective pathogen control, decontamination, cleaning and hygiene, and reduced exposure to blood-borne viruses and infection risk, noting that professionals should receive a minimum of five hours of training in this area over a five-year period.i
As such, it is essential that each practice selects high-quality verifiable continuous professional development (CPD) training to ensure that their team complies with UK guidance, and is armed with the knowledge to carry out the highest standards of hygiene processes.
Importance of verifiable CPD for team learning
Dentilearn in-practice CPD, provided by the knowledgeable infection control experts at Dentisan, brings infection prevention education directly to your practice. The programme allows the whole team to access the same training in dental decontamination in a comfortable and convenient way, and includes real life examples and case studies to ensure the concepts are relatable for participants.
When you enrol with Dentilearn, you can expect:
- A choice of 1-hour or 2-hour in-practice sessions, which can include practical demonstrations
- Verifiable CPD awarded to each individual
- A cost-effective option, with a fixed price regardless of the number of participants
The 1-hour session covers many of the key aspects of decontamination and infection control. These include: guidance documents and practice inspections; PPE; surfaces and environmental decontamination; dental impression and suction decontamination; hand hygiene; instrument decontamination, including handling, storage, equipment testing logs, and records; and dental unit waterline decontamination. This training gives attendees an excellent overview of the key principles of infection control, which can be illustrated with helpful demonstrations and examples.
In addition to the information included in the 1-hour session, the 2-hour option also includes training on: the principles of infection transmission and control; risks associated with infection control; microbiology; audits, documentation, and records; and single-use policies and sustainability. This training provides the team with an in-depth knowledge of decontamination and infection control principles, and the impact that an individual’s actions can have on the health and safety of all in the practice.
To ensure specific training is provided to best meet the needs of your team, topics within the in-practice sessions can be selected in advance.
Choosing products wisely for compliance
Our commitment to education is at the heart of everything we do, giving dental teams confidence in the processes and procedures they follow every day. We provide education alongside a range of high-quality Dentisan products – designed by a team of chemists– each of which has undergone the highest standards of regulatory testing to ensure they meet the requirements for infection control in dental settings. The range includes solutions for use across:
- Dental unit water line decontamination
- Hand hygiene and care
- Impression disinfection
- Instrument decontamination
- Equipment cleaning and barriers
- Surface and environmental cleaning and disinfection
- Testing and validation
Enhance your practice’s decontamination workflows today
Dentisan makes it simple to carry out excellent decontamination and infection control in your practice, with a past Dentilearn delegate commenting:
“Jenny [Nixon] makes the training relevant and accessible, her inside-out knowledge of the subject shines through!”
If you’d like to book an in-practice CPD session, please contact the expert in your area to arrange a training session.
For more information about Dentisan, please visit: https://dentisan.co.uk/
Book your in-practice CPD by emailing your request to the expert in your area:
For the Midlands, North Wales & North of England, contact Jenny: jenny.nixon@getinge.com
For the South of England, Wales & Channel Islands, contact Anne: anne.harris@getinge.com
For Scotland, Ireland & Northern Ireland, contact Holly: holly.dickinson@getinge.com
[i] NHS England. Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: decontamination in primary care dental practices. Updated Jan 24. Accessed Jan 26. https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/decontamination-in-primary-care-dental-practices-htm-01-05/
