Oral health professionals need to be familiar with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recently published summary of infection prevention practices in dental settings.

Oral health professionals need to understand the process for reporting such conditions at the local, state, and national levels.

The effective use of these infection control tools makes all the difference in ensuring clinician and patient health and safety.

Dental practices that foster safety in the workplace may see improved treatment outcomes and more satisfied patients and employees.

Myriad resources are available for dental professionals who serve in this important role.

In this Q&A, Chris H. Miller, PhD, explains the process of dry heat sterilization and why it is an important asset to the infection control protocol in the dental setting.

Oral health professionals who remain up-to date on immunization recommendations and disease etiology and pathogenesis will be well prepared to educate patients on this critical component of public health.

Clinicians need to be well informed about the properties of the products they use for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Oral health professionals must follow safety guidelines to minimize the risk of needlestick injuries.

This growing problem needs to be addressed across all health care fields.