Infection control is a central concept in every healthcare provider practice. Its main objective is to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases by both patients and healthcare personnel (Martin et al., 2010). In the dental clinic, infection control is an ongoing concern for its professionals. They must regularly contact patients and be exposed to their blood, saliva, dental plaque and pus which may contain infectious pathogens. It is important that dental professionals treat these fluids as if they were infectious, and special precautions must be taken when handling them. In this essay I will highlight the scope of infection control practices in dental clinics and the ways in which infectious microorganisms are transmitted in the dental clinic. Additionally, I will talk about some infection control guidelines implemented in dental clinics and how these meet patient needs. Finally, from a personal perspective, I will mention some factors that influence the implementation of infection control guidelines and procedures. The scope of the problem: Due to direct contact with patients, healthcare team personnel are exposed to a greater risk of contracting diseases. Specifically, this risk becomes more potential for dental professional teams if we know that most human microbial pathogens are isolated from oral secretions. They can cause serious illnesses that could spread from patients to staff and vice versa (Bednarsh & Molinri, 2010). In the 1970s and early 1980s, findings showed a trend among dental professionals to have more certain infectious diseases than the general public due to exposure to their patients' blood and saliva ( Bednarsh & Molinri, 2010). Illness, such as hepatitis...... middle of paper ......rnal of Hospital Infection, 74, 99-111.Martin, M., Fulford, M., & Preston, T. (2009) . Infection control for the dental team. London: Quintessence Publishing Co. Molinari, J., & Hart, J. (2010). How to choose and use disinfectants for environmental surfaces. The practical control of infections in dentistry by Cottone (Third edition ed., pp. 185-193). Philadelphia: Wolters Kumar Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Phinney, D. J., & Halstead, J. (2004). Instructor's Manual for Accompanying Delmar Dental Assisting: A Comprehensive Approach (2nd ed.). Forence, KY: Thomson/Delmar Learning.Rautemaa, R., Nordberg, A., Wuolijoki-Saaristo, K., & Meurman, J. (2006). Bacterial aerosols in the dental practice: a potential hospital infection problem? Journal of Hospital Infection, 64(1), 67-81.Szymanska, J. (2005). Microbiological risk factors in dentistry. Ann Agric Environ Med, 12, 157-163.