Dental practices should:
• maintain awareness of new vaccine-preventable diseases (such as H1N1 and other forms of viral influenza), and
ensure dental staff at risk are fully immunised when these vaccines become available (including annual influenza
immunisation);
• offer testing following occupational exposure such as a sharps injury;
• ensure dental staff are adequately informed of the rights and responsibilities of patients, especially in their right to
refuse to give information on their infectivity status or to refuse to be tested for a bloodborne virus;
• develop a plan for infection control within the practice;
• provide dental staff infection control measures including personal protective equipment and immunisation, effective
reporting systems for breaches of protocols and safe work practices;
• inform dental staff when they are employed of the health screening policies of the practice;
• inform patients of the risks associated with their dental care and the protocols in place for protecting their privacy
and confidentiality;
• inform patients of the infection control strategies in place and provide information about procedures for dealing with
concerns about infection control procedures; and
• provide a specific program of education and training in infection control principles, policies and procedures for
dental staff.