ADS Institute for Dental Safety Advances Infection Control Leadership

Published July 22, 2025 | Updated: September 1, 2026

When the Association for Dental Safety (ADS, formerly OSAP) announced the creation of the ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science in July 2025, it was a response to a real gap: the elimination of the CDC's Division of Oral Health left the dental field without its longtime source for updated, science-based infection control guidance. The Institute's stated mission was to become "the central body for updating, developing, and disseminating science-based protocols to safeguard both providers and patients."

More than a year later, that mission is no longer just a plan on paper.

One Year Later: The Water Quality Initiative Is Underway

The ADS Institute has moved from announcement to action:

> May 2026 - The Institute confirmed its multidisciplinary advisory committee, including infection control leaders such as Eve Cuny (Professor Emerita, Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry), Simone Duarte (Associate Dean, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine), and Russell Dunkel (State Dental Director, Wisconsin Department of Health Services). At the same time, the committee greenlit its first major project.

> August 2026 - That first project became official: the Institute held its inaugural public meeting to launch the Dental Treatment Water Quality Initiative, convening experts across disciplines to build an evidence-informed model for managing dental procedural water quality.

The choice of dental unit waterlines as the Institute's flagship issue isn't a surprise. It's been a persistent weak point across the industry tied to documented outbreaks and inconsistent monitoring practices and exactly the kind of standing gap the Institute was created to close.

Join the complimentary Safe Water Webinar on September 22, 2026 for dental professionals

Implications for Dental Practices

With a named advisory committee and a live initiative, dental practices now have a concrete signal of where updated guidance is headed, rather than waiting on an open-ended promise. That matters for two reasons:

> Standards are coming, not hypothetical. Practices that treat waterline management as a checklist item today should expect more specific, evidence-based expectations to follow from this initiative.

> Getting ahead is easier than catching up. Practices with strong waterline monitoring and documentation already in place will have an easier time aligning with new guidance than those starting from scratch once it's published the everyday habits behind that (hand hygiene, PPE, sterilization, waterline checks) are exactly what this September's Dental Infection Control Awareness Month is about.

How SafeLink Consulting Supports Your Compliance Journey

This is exactly the kind of regulatory shift SafeLink was built to help clients navigate. Our team can:

> Assess your current infection control protocols against both CDC guidance and emerging ADS Institute recommendations

> Implement and document dental unit waterline safety strategies now, ahead of formal standards

> Monitor the Institute's work on your behalf and translate new guidance into practical updates for your practice

> Provide OSHA and infection control training that keeps your team current as the regulatory landscape evolves

Taking Action in a Changing Regulatory Environment

The Institute's progress is a reminder that infection control guidance isn't standing still just because a familiar federal source went quiet. Waiting for a finished standard to appear before acting on waterline safety leaves practices exposed in the meantime and behind once the guidance does arrive.

A practice that already has strong water safety documentation, monitoring, and staff training in place won't need to scramble when the ADS Institute's guidance is finalized. SafeLink Consulting helps dental practices build infection control programs including waterline management that hold up to OSHA requirements and evolving CDC and ADS guidance alike.

Have questions about where waterline safety standards are headed, or want your practice assessed against current guidance? Contact SafeLink Consulting at 770-205-6745 or 800-330-6003, or reach our sales team directly at 470-533-2581.