Infection Control in Dental Technology: Best Practices, Challenges, And Future Directions-A Comprehensive Review

Infection control constitutes an indispensable pillar of dental technology practice, encompassing the systematic prevention of cross-contamination between dental professionals, patients and laboratory environments. Dental laboratories routinely handle impressions, prostheses, casts and appliances that are potentially laden with blood, saliva and diverse pathogenic microorganisms, necessitating rigorous adherence to evidence-based infection control protocols. This comprehensive review synthesises current knowledge on infection control principles and best practices in dental technology, examining standard precautions, disinfection and sterilisation methodologies, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) utilisation, laboratory zoning, waste management and the critical role of interdisciplinary communication between dental clinics and laboratories. The review further analyses persistent challenges confronting dental laboratories including inconsistent protocol compliance, material-disinfectant compatibility constraints, resource limitations and inadequate continuous training and evaluates evidence-based strategies for overcoming these barriers. Emerging technologies, including digital dentistry workflows, advanced sterilisation systems, antimicrobial materials and smart laboratory automation, are explored as future directions for enhancing infection control efficacy. By critically examining established guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), alongside empirical research findings, this review provides dental technologists, laboratory managers and healthcare policymakers with a robust, evidence-grounded framework for strengthening infection control standards in dental technology.