Eye Safety in Dentistry

During the delivery of dental care, both dental personnel and patients are at risk of ocular exposure to pathogens and/or physical or chemical injury. Ocular injuries and infections may lead to serious long-term consequences including potential blindness. Unfortunately, eye protection by dental team members (and patients) is often suboptimal or lacking. This session will review best practices for eye protection during all phases of oral healthcare including instrument reprocessing, cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces, chairside dentistry, and light curing procedures.

Please see Dr. Fluent’s recently published article discussing Eye Safety in Dentistry: Click here

Course Objectives

At the completion of this course the participants should be able to:

1. Describe NIOSH recommendations to reduce eye injuries and protect against ocular infection exposures.
2. Describe eye protection for dental healthcare personnel and patients during all phases of the delivery of oral healthcare.
3. Discuss the proper fit and wear and fit of eye protection.