Decontamination Into Practice

'Decontamination Into Practice' is a series of documents that provides advice on different aspects of instrument decontamination.

The first part of the series entitled 'Cleaning of Dental Instruments' can be downloaded in pdf form. An introduction to the series and appendices that provide additional advice of relevance to the whole decontamination process are also available to download.

  • Part 2 - Sterilization of Dental Instruments - Consultation ended 23 October 2009

The consultation period for 'Sterilization of Dental Instruments' has now ended. The feedback received is currently being considered in order to agree the amendments that are required before publication. Meanwhile, if you would like a pdf of the consultation draft of the guidance, please email us at: scottishdental.cep@nes.scot.nhs.uk.

For a description of the consultation process see SDCEP Guidance.

Background

Effective decontamination of instruments is a key element of infection control and the provision of quality dental care. Its importance is well recognized by the profession and has been further highlighted by the General Dental Council identifying decontamination as a core subject for continuing professional development.

A range of technical specifications and legal standards govern the decontamination process. Existing guidance concerned with meeting these, such as Scottish Technical Health Memoranda and Local Decontamination Unit Guidance, historically have not been easily accessible or well publicised to primary care dental services. Furthermore, decontamination provision and its accompanying guidance are constantly evolving as new information and equipment becomes available.

Based on these existing sources of information, 'Decontamination Into Practice' is a series of advice documents concerned with organising and carrying out decontamination. Written specifically for primary dental care providers, the advice is presented in a manner that aims to facilitate improvements in decontamination practice and help the evolution towards compliance with the relevant mandatory and statutory standards.

The SDCEP decontamination guidance is being compiled by a small group of professionals with particular interest and experience in decontamination in dental practice, assisted by our Programme Development Team.

The Guidance Development Group would like to express their thanks to all those who responded to the request for feedback during the consultations of Parts 1 and 2.

Guidance Development Group  

Name Details

Alice Miller (Chair)

General Dental Practitioner, Duns, Borders; VT Advisor, NHS Education for Scotland.

Jeremy Bagg

Head of Glasgow Dental School and Professor of Clinical Microbiology, University of Glasgow.

Irene Black

General Dental Practitioner; Dental Advisor, Care Commission; Dental Practice Advisor, NHS Greater Glasgow; Dental Advisor (Decontamination), NHS Education for Scotland.

Iris Green

Dental Nurse Manager, Tayside University Hospital Trust, Dundee Dental Hospital.

Margaret Leggate

General Dental Practitioner, Aberdeen; Specialist in Periodontics, Clinical Effectiveness Adviser with NHS Grampian.

Dawn Adams*

Clinical Director of Community Dental Services, NHS Fife.

Irene Hanevy*

Dental Practice Co-ordinator, NHS Fife.

Christine Wilson*

Infection Control Nurse Advisor, NHS Education for Scotland.

Fiona Zinkewycz*

Senior Dental Nurse, General Dental Service, Fife.

Gillian Irvine

Senior Infection Control Nurse, Health Protection Scotland, on secondment to University of Glasgow Dental School from September 2004 to January 2007.

*Group members for Part 2 only. Group member for Part 1 only

The group also thanks Dr Andrew Smith, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Microbiology at the University of Glasgow Dental School, who chaired the group until July 2005. The group gratefully acknowledges the expert advice provided by members of the Health Protection Scotland Decontamination Team throughout the project. 

Page last edited: 04 November 2009