Beyond Clean: Excellence in Disinfection and Sterilization for Dental Practices
About this Seminar
This session offers a focused review of disinfection and sterilization practices, reinforcing core principles and highlighting current approaches in infection prevention and control. Participants will revisit operatory turnover and reprocessing room workflows, with an emphasis on safe and effective instrument reprocessing. A key component of the session is quality assurance in sterilization. Attendees will review the implementation and interpretation of mandatory monitoring tests, including biological indicators, chemical indicators, and mechanical monitoring, to ensure consistent and verifiable sterilization outcomes. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with practical tools to enhance safety, maintain regulatory compliance, and support a culture of excellence in infection control within their dental practice.
Presenters
University of Saskatchewan, College of Dentistry
About Dr. Michelle F. Siqueira, DDS, DSc
University of Saskatchewan, College of Dentistry
Dr. Michelle Siqueira, DDS, DSc, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Dentistry, where she serves as Course Coordinator for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), as well as an IPAC Officer, IPAC policy developer, and Scientific Director of the College of Dentistry Sterilization and Waterline Monitoring Services (SWMS). She earned her DDS from Santo Amaro University in São Paulo, Brazil (2000), and her Doctor of Science (DSc) from the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (2008). Her research focuses on infection control, dental unit waterline safety, and sterilization science, and she has published extensively in high impact scientific journals.