Dental Infection Control Awareness Month
Published: September 2023 by Kellie Thimmes | Updated by Mary Bartlett: September 1, 2026
Every September, the dental community pauses to recognize Dental Infection Control Awareness Month (DICAM) - a campaign dedicated to reinforcing the practices that keep patients and dental teams safe. This year's observance, led by the Association for Dental Safety (ADS, formerly OSAP), carries the theme "Safety Starts With Every Step," a reminder that infection prevention isn't one big policy sitting in a binder. It's the sum of small, consistent actions repeated correctly, visit after visit.
For dental practices, that message is worth taking to heart. For patients, it's a good reason to feel confident asking questions about how their care team keeps them safe.
Why Infection Control Still Matters
Dental infections don't stay contained to the mouth. Left unaddressed, they can progress from tooth decay and gum disease to pain, tooth loss, and complications that affect a patient's overall health. That's exactly why the infrastructure behind every appointment - sterilization, disinfection, instrument handling, and personal protective equipment (PPE) - carries so much weight. Prevention, not correction, is the standard patients deserve.
Where "Every Step" Shows Up in Practice
ADS's DICAM26 campaign encourages practices to look at the everyday workflow moments that add up to a safe visit, including:
> Hand hygiene - the simplest, most consistent line of defense, performed correctly and at the right moments in patient care.
> PPE use - proper donning and doffing procedures, not just wearing the right gear.
> Sterilization and instrument processing - following manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs) and validated sterilization cycles, every time, without shortcuts.
> Dental unit waterline management - a frequently overlooked area that requires regular monitoring and treatment to prevent biofilm buildup.
Join the complimentary Safe Water Webinar on September 22, 2026 for dental professionals
None of these are new requirements. What DICAM26 asks practices to do is recommit to doing each one well, consistently, rather than treating infection control as a once-a-year audit item.
That waterline point is especially timely: the ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science just launched a new initiative focused specifically on dental procedural water quality, with new evidence-based guidance likely on the way.
What Dental Teams Can Do This Month
> Update your written health & safety program. Your infection control plan should reflect current guidance and how your practice actually operates day to day, not just what was true when it was last written. SafeLink can review and update this for you as part of a customized compliance program.
> Refresh your team's training. Rather than a generic module, SafeLink builds staff training customized to your practice — delivered as a training video, a live virtual session, or onsite.
> Ask SafeLink. Get direct, practice-specific answers from a SafeLink advisor by phone consultation, virtual meeting, or onsite visit — guidance built around your protocols, not a general FAQ.
> Use the SafeLink360 portal. SafeLink clients have ongoing access to compliance resources and support between advisor sessions.
> Request a risk assessment. Pinpoint exactly where your infection control program needs attention, so this month's effort goes where it actually matters.
> Talk to your patients. Sharing what your practice does — and why — builds trust and reinforces the message that safety is built into every step of their visit, not an afterthought.
Follow and share #DICAM26 to connect with the broader conversation dental professionals are having this month.
What Patients Should Feel Comfortable Asking
DICAM isn't only for dental teams. Patients are encouraged to ask their providers about sterilization practices, PPE protocols, and water safety. A practice with strong infection control shouldn't hesitate to answer those questions - transparency is part of the safety culture DICAM promotes.
Safety Is a Standard, Not a Season
September gives the dental field a reason to spotlight infection control, but the goal is for "Safety Starts With Every Step" to describe how a practice operates all year. That means current written protocols, properly trained staff, documented compliance, and a culture where infection prevention is second nature rather than an annual reminder.
That's where SafeLink Consulting comes in. We help dental practices build and maintain infection prevention and control programs that hold up to CDC guidance, OSHA requirements, and real-world scrutiny — not just for DICAM, but every month of the year.
Ready to check where your practice stands? Contact SafeLink Consulting to talk through a customized compliance program for your practice.
Sources & Further Reading
SafeLink Consulting is a trusted compliance advisor supporting dental practices and other businesses nationwide with OSHA, HIPAA, FDA, environmental, and infection control guidance for more than 30 years. We provide integrated compliance support to assess risks, develop programs, train teams, deliver ongoing advisory support, and verify progress.
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SafeLink360 brings your requirements, records, tasks, assessments, and training into one place — with SafeLink's compliance experts built in. Built for every industry we serve.
Explore SafeLink360 ↗ Mary A. Bartlett, Senior Vice President & Founder of SafeLink Consulting, has spent more than three decades at the forefront of dental industry compliance and safety. Since 1991, she has been a trusted presenter and on-site instructor for dental and general industry professionals across the United States, Canada, and Asia — delivering expertise on employee health and safety, patient safety, privacy, and quality assurance. She has authored content for numerous national publications, and her clients consistently benefit from her hands-on experience navigating OSHA, FDA, and State Board inspections.
