September marks Dental Infection Control Awareness Month (DICAM), an initiative from the Association for Dental Safety (ADS) that highlights the importance of infection prevention in every dental practice. This year’s theme, “Embracing a Culture of Safety: Empowering Patients and the Dental Team,” emphasizes how a shared commitment to safety benefits both patients and providers.
Weekly Focus Areas
Each week of DICAM, ADS will spotlight a different infection control priority:
- Week 1 (Sept 1–5): Hand Hygiene
- Week 2 (Sept 8–12): Dental Unit Waterlines
- Week 3 (Sept 15–19): Instrument Reprocessing
- Week 4 (Sept 22–26): Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Resources for Your Practice
To support dental teams, ADS has created free toolkits with ready-to-use materials that make it easy to participate:
- Social Media & Marketing Toolkit – graphics, messaging guides, staff scripts, and patient-facing resources for practices to share their commitment to infection prevention.
- Infection Prevention & Safety Resource Toolkit – checklists, whitepapers, and guidance, including resources for Infection Control Coordinators (ICCs).
ADS also launched Ask ADS, an AI-powered assistant that provides real-time answers to infection control questions, from best practices to customized checklists.
Visit https://www.myads.org/dicam to download the free toolkits and join the conversation by sharing the hashtag: #DICAM25.
