Two of the top five most commonly cited violations by the Dental Board of California in 2018 concern infection control and prevention, according to a California Dental Association (CDA) report.
The report, which summarizes the findings of the Dental Board of California's 2018 Sunset Review Report to the California Legislature, identifies "failure to follow infection control guidelines" and "failure to comply with bloodborne requirements" as common areas for citation. Rounding out the top five list:
Failure to produce patient records
Grounds for action: Conduct of proceedings
Unprofessional conduct
CDA notes that the number of citations issued by the Dental Board of California is on rise: 47 citations were issued in fiscal year (FY) 2015-16; 56 citations in FY 2016-17; and 64 citations in FY 2017-18.
The findings and increase in citations come as no surprise to Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS). They are consistent with observations made by ICCS consultants who provide dental infection control services to dental offices and oral surgery centers nationwide.