Helping practitioners with infection prevention and control: public consultation open

08 Sep 2021

The Dental Board of Australia (the Board) wants to make it easier for practitioners to know and understand their professional infection prevention and control obligations to help them practice safely.

As part of this, the Board is reviewing its Guidelines on infection control. The Board is consulting on whether to provide information in the guidelines in a more accessible and helpful way through the use of other tools and resources, such as a one-stop fact sheet and a self-reflective tool.

The fact sheet highlights the regulatory and legal requirements that apply and directs practitioners to a range of helpful resources on infection prevention and control.

The Board’s proposed self-reflective tool encourages practitioners to reflect on their practice and identify if there is room for improvement, which supports professional practice and helps to protect the public.

Board Chair, Dr Murray Thomas, said the Board’s preference was outlined in the consultation paper and reflected its outcome-based approach to regulating the profession.

‘The proposed shift from guidelines to helpful resources and tools supports dental practitioners to exercise their judgement and behave professionally.’

The Board invites feedback from dental practitioners, members of the public, employers of dental practitioners, education providers and other stakeholders about this important consultation which opened today.

To read more about the Board’s proposal, review the consultation paper and access the Board’s online submissions form, please see the Dental Board’s consultation page. The consultation closes on 15 November 2021.