IPAC inspection for Ontario dental clinics - what inspectors look for in 2026

Sterilization workflow

Inspectors walk your sterilization area from dirty intake to clean storage. They ask staff to walk through the workflow in their own words. If the written manual says one thing and the team says another, that's a finding.

• Dirty-to-clean directional flow (no backtracking)
• Ultrasonic & instrument processing documented
• Autoclave cycle parameters logged each load
• Sterile package integrity check on retrieval

Biological monitoring

Spore testing is non-negotiable. Inspectors look for current biological monitoring records, evidence of corrective action if any test failed, and confirmation that the test frequency matches Public Health Ontario expectations.

Hand hygiene & PPE

Inspectors observe staff during patient care. Hand hygiene at the four moments, glove changes between patients, mask/eye protection during aerosol-generating procedures - all watched, not just documented.

Surface disinfection

Operatory turnover between patients, dental unit waterline maintenance, and high-touch surface protocols are checked. Inspectors often ask, 'Show me how you turn this room over,' so staff need to demonstrate, not just describe.

Documentation

Every workflow above needs a paper trail. Inspectors ask to see the IPAC manual, training records, sterilization logs, biological monitoring records, and corrective actions. They expect to find them in under a minute.