Every dental practice in Ireland must have a written IPC policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) — this is a mandatory requirement of the Dental Council's Code of Practice. HSE and HIQA inspectors verify both the documentation and its implementation. This guide details what your protocol must contain and what inspectors look for.
The Dental Council's IPC Code requires every dental practice to have a written IPC policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These must be accessible to all staff and available for presentation during inspections. The documents describe the procedure to follow at each step of the sterilisation chain and assign responsibilities. The absence of written SOPs is grounds for non-compliance during an HSE or HIQA inspection.
The designation of the person responsible for sterilisation within the practice. A detailed description of each step in the sterilisation chain (pre-disinfection, cleaning, rinsing, drying, packaging, autoclaving, storage). The maintenance and validation schedule for the autoclave (initial qualification, annual requalification, preventive maintenance). The frequency of biological and physico-chemical controls (daily Bowie-Dick/Helix, weekly tests, regular spore indicators). The traceability method used (paper or digital register). The clinical waste management procedures. The continuing professional development plan for staff.
For a step-by-step breakdown of the sterilisation chain, see our dental sterilisation chain guide.
A cycle is valid when the recorded parameters match the selected programme and all indicators are compliant. In dental practice, the reference cycle is 134°C for 18 minutes (prion cycle), mandatory for instruments in contact with nervous or lymphoid tissue. The autoclave must be Class B to sterilise hollow instruments (turbines, contra-angles) and wrapped loads.
Before the first load of each working day, the IPC Code requires a Bowie-Dick test (pre-vacuum autoclaves) or Helix test (hollow instruments) to validate proper autoclave function. A failed cycle or a non-compliant indicator requires repackaging and resterilisation of the entire load.
For details on biological controls, see our autoclave biological controls guide.
The Dental Council's Code of Practice Relating to Infection Prevention and Control (April 2015, revised April 2020) is the primary benchmark for dental sterilisation in Ireland. It covers the entire process: premises (separate decontamination area, forward flow principle respected), equipment (validated autoclave, functional cleaning equipment), procedures (written SOPs, traceability, biological controls), and documentation (sterilisation register, autoclave maintenance log, training certificates).
The HSE LDU Standards (2012) and the National Guideline for Infection Prevention and Control in HSE Dental and Orthodontic Services (2024) complement the IPC Code with detailed operational guidance. Self-evaluating against these standards before an inspection is the best preparation.
The protocol must define the traceability method used. Irish regulations do not prescribe a format — paper registers remain accepted. But their limitations are well documented: missing pages, illegible handwriting, forgotten entries, no instrument-to-cycle link, risk of loss.
A digital register eliminates these risks. SecuSteri automatically imports the autoclave report, links each instrument to its cycle, and generates a signed, tamper-proof record. Each cycle is archived according to the plan's retention period, accessible at any time during an inspection.
For a detailed comparison, see our digital vs paper register guide.
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