Infection Control Inspections

Nevada dental practices must follow the infection control standards adopted under NRS 631 and NAC 631, including the CDC’s dental infection control and sterilization guidance. The Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners may inspect dental offices and facilities to verify that patient care, instrument processing, environmental cleaning, and staff safety practices meet those standards.

The Board conducts several types of infection control inspections. These include:

• Initial inspections for newly owned offices or facilities

• Random inspections during normal business hours

• Reinspections when deficiencies are identified

• Mobile and portable dental equipment inspections

• Off-site sterilization inspections when instruments are processed away from the treatment location

If you become the owner of a dental office or facility where treatment will be performed, you must request an initial infection control inspection within 30 days. Mobile, portable, and temporary operations are also subject to infection control review before patient care begins.

To request an infection control inspection, the practice owner must submit the Board’s infection control inspection application and the required fee. 

When applying for an inspection, be prepared to provide:

• Owner and business information

• Supervising licensee information

• Practice hours

• Nevada business license information

• Manager or supervisor information

• Description of the dental services provided

For mobile or off-site operations, the Board must receive the dates, hours, and locations of service at least 30 days before the earliest service date requested. A passing inspection must be completed at least one business day before patient treatment begins. If a licensee later plans to open, operate, or work in a pop-up, portable, or mobile practice not affliated with the public health program, that activity must also be reported to the Board in advance for inspection.

To access the Inspection Request Forms and other documents, please visit the Applications | Forms Webpage. 

To comply with Nevada infection control requirements, a dental practice must have a complete, practice-specific infection control program that is actively followed by the team. Compliance means more than having written policies. The office must also be able to demonstrate that staff are trained, equipment is functioning properly, and infection prevention procedures are consistently followed in patient care and instrument processing.

Written program and staff readiness

Your practice should maintain a written infection control program that is specific to the location and available to staff. The program should identify an infection control coordinator and address bloodborne pathogen control, staff training, annual program review, corrective action, exposure response, communicable disease reporting, and employee health and vaccination policies. Training should be documented and retained for at least 3 years. A practice should also have a posted 24/7 contact number for post-exposure care.

Standard precautions in daily care

Every practice must follow Standard Precautions for all patients. This includes proper hand hygiene, use of appropriate personal protective equipment, respiratory hygiene, sharps safety, and safe injection practices. Supplies such as soap, hand antisepsis products, masks, gloves, eye protection, sharps containers, and exposure-reporting tools must be available where they are needed. Staff must know how to perform these tasks correctly, not just describe them.

Instrument processing and sterilization

Instrument reprocessing is a major focus of infection control inspections. A compliant practice should have:

• Clearly separated dirty-to-clean workflow

• Functional sterilization equipment

• Written procedures for transporting contaminated instruments

• Cleaning of instruments before sterilization using the correct detergents or enzymatic cleaners

• Weekly biological monitoring of sterilizers

• Testing and maintenance logs

• Proper package labeling, load tracking, and storage

• Sterilization of critical items after each use

• Sterilization of heat-tolerant handpieces,motors, reusable prophylaxis agnles, and associated attachments after each use

• Appropriate reprocessing of semi-critical items

• No reuse or reprocessing of single-use items

Staff may also be asked to demonstrate proper loading, packaging, or other sterilization steps during the inspection.

Environmental infection prevention

Patient-care areas must be managed so that contamination is controlled between every patient. Clinical contact surfaces should be barrier-protected when appropriate, and unprotected surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected using the correct EPA-registered products and the manufacturer’s instructions. If a surface is visibly contaminated with blood, an intermediate-level disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim must be used. Policies should also cover radiography, dental laboratory procedures, chemical handling, housekeeping, and spill response.

Waterline and irrigation requirements

Practices are expected to manage dental unit water quality as part of infection prevention. Written policies should address waterline maintenance, testing, and flushing. Routine treatment water should meet the potable water standard of less than 500 CFU/mL, and sterile solutions should be used for surgical procedures when required. Documentation of testing and maintenance should be available for review.

Mobile, portable, and off-site sterilization operations

Mobile and portable dental operations must meet the same infection control standards as fixed-site practices. If instruments are sterilized off-site, the practice must be able to show how contaminated instruments are transported, how sterility is maintained, and how an adequate instrument inventory is available for patient care. The Board may inspect both the treatment operation and the off-site sterilization process.

If an infection control deficiency cannot be corrected before the inspection ends, the practice will be considered non-compliant. The next step depends on whether the issue is classified as critical or non-critical.

A critical deficiency must be corrected within 72 hours, and the Board will conduct a reinspection within that same 72-hour period to confirm correction. If the reinspection is not passed, the result may include another reinspection, enforcement action, or closure of the site.

A non-critical deficiency must also be corrected within 72 hours. In some cases, the Board may allow the practice to show correction through documentation, photographs, or other evidence instead of requiring an in-person reinspection. If the required proof is not provided, the Board may schedule a subsequent reinspection.

When an inspection item is marked Demonstrate, a team member may be selected to perform the task during the inspection. The staff member must show proper knowledge, technique, and training consistent with the practice’s written policies.

If deficiencies create an immediate threat to public health, safety, or welfare, the Board may order some or all dental treatment to stop pending further action. Under NAC 631.1785, serious noncompliance may lead to a cease-and-desist order and a Board hearing.