1. A. The supervising dentist in a private dental office shall be responsible for the following infection control activities:

   1. (1) Adherence to the CDC Guidelines in their individual capacity as described in Regulation .06 of this chapter;

   2. (2) The provision and accessibility of sufficient and appropriate:

      1. (a) Personal protective equipment including but not limited to:

         1. (i) Gloves;
         2. (ii) Masks;
         3. (iii) Eyewear; and
         4. (iv) Gowns;
      2. (b) Hand soaps and hand scrubs;
      3. (c) Puncture-resistant sharps containers located in close proximity to where they are to be used;
      4. (d) Products for cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces that are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or its successor;
      5. (e) Periodic water quality testing to ensure that water meets Environmental Protection Agency regulatory standards for drinking water;

      6. (f) Sterilization monitoring of reusable dental equipment and instruments in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for use, including:

         1. (i) Biological spore testing;
         2. (ii) Chemical monitoring; and
         3. (iii) Mechanical monitoring;
      7. (g) Maintenance of a biohazard waste removal contract for the office; and
      8. (h) Signage for patient waiting areas for those exhibiting symptoms of respiratory infection.
2. B. In addition to the activities set forth in §A of this regulation, a supervising dentist shall be responsible for the training of clinical staff upon hire and before engaging in clinical duties, and at minimum, annually.

3. C. The training of clinical staff shall include training regarding:

   1. (1) Standard and transmission based precautions;
   2. (2) Hand hygiene;
   3. (3) Personal protective equipment;
   4. (4) Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette;
   5. (5) Sharps safety;
   6. (6) Safe injection practices;
   7. (7) Sterilizing and disinfecting clinical contact and housekeeping surfaces;
   8. (8) Spore testing;
   9. (9) Water quality testing; and
   10. (10) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as set forth in 29 C.F.R. §1910.1030.
4. D. A supervising dentist shall ensure that evidence-based written policies and procedures, based upon current CDC Guidelines, regulatory requirements, and other relevant guidance documents, are developed, maintained, and readily available for review by the office’s clinical staff.
5. E. The policies and procedures referred to in §D of this regulation shall be updated either annually or more often if appropriate, to reflect new evidence, guidelines, or regulatory requirements.
6. F. A supervising dentist shall maintain adequate written records of the activities set forth in §§A—E of this regulation in each office for which the records apply.
7. G. A supervising dentist who practices clinical dentistry shall, for their own practice of dentistry, be responsible for all infection control activities in the dental office including those activities that are not considered structural infection control or those that do not impact the entirety of the private dental office.

Authority: Health Occupations Article, §§4-104 and 4-205(c)(1)(v), Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: January 19, 2026 (53:1 Md. R. 23))