Checklist for Safe Dental Care in Foreign Countries

This content was archived on June 24, 2013.

If the answers to any of the asterisked (*) items below are "No," you should have reservations about the office's infection control standards.

If the answer to a two-star item (**) is "No," it is recommended that you promptly leave the office.

Before you leave for your trip:

• Visit your dental professional for a check-up to reduce the chances you will have a dental emergency.
• Consider appropriate vaccinations.

When seeking treatment for a dental emergency during your trip:

• Consult the Canadian Embassy/Consulate/High Commission for assistance in finding a dental professional.

When making the appointment, ask:

• Do you use new gloves for each patient?*
• Do you use an autoclave (steam sterilizer) or dry heat oven to sterilize your instruments between patients?**
• Do you sterilize your handpieces (drills)?* (If not, do you disinfect them?)**
• Do you use new needles for each patient?**
• Is sterile (or boiled) water used for surgical procedures?** (In areas where drinking water is unsafe, the water also may cause illness if used for dental treatment.)

Upon arriving at the office, observe the following:

• Is the office clean and neat?
• Do staff wash their hands, with soap, between patients?**
• Do they wear gloves for all procedures?**
• Do they clean and disinfect or use disposable covers on surfaces touched during treatment?

While it is important to be sensitive to cultural differences when making inquiries about the safety of dental care, remember that it is your health and well being that are at stake.

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Created with permission from The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP)