OSAP's members span the globe and include educators, consultants, lecturers, infection control coordinators and all who are involved in infection prevention and safety.  Additionally, individual dentists, hygienists, assistants, physicians, nurses, students and associations join the organization to obtain timely and relevant resources to increase the safety of dental care for their workplace or membership.  Interested?  Click HERE to join.

 

OSAP also welcomes Corporate Partners who provide support of the organization's endeavors through membership dues and generous grants to help underwrite OSAP's programs and events.

 

OSAP maintains a Board of Directors, which guides the organization's projects, resources, and development.  The organization also is privileged to have a strong group of Friends of OSAP who help integrate oral infection control and safety procedures into health infection initiatives globally and represent the larger infection prevention and control communities.

 

OSAP's biggest strength is its membership. The diverse backgrounds of the OSAP members afford a unique opportunity for sharing information, problems, and perspectives to create solutions for safer dental practice everywhere.  Click HERE to see some of the talented and committed people who comprise OSAP.  These are the winners of OSAP's prestigious awards.

 

Founded in 1984 and formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985, OSAP is a unique group of dental educators and consultants, researchers, clinicians, industry representatives, and other interested persons with a collective mission to promote infection prevention and related science-based health and safety policies and practices. OSAP supports this commitment to the dental workers and the public through quality education and information dissemination.  OSAP is comprised of two separate but linked organizations:

 

OSAP is a valuable resource for the dental profession and dental industry.  Its checklists, issue foci and position papers provide practical, scientifically sound information and recommendations on specific issues like H1N1, dental unit water quality, "green" infection control, instrument processing, surface asepsis, percutaneous injuries, and much more.

 

OSAP's continuing-education-accredited Informational Series includes a bi-monthly newsletter called Infection Control in Practice (ICIP) containing information, charts, and resources on a specific issue of interest in dental practice as well as an opportunity to receive an hour of continuing-education. The 2008 series addressed infection control by compartmentalizing the issues and procedures (Click HERE for a sample). The 2009 series addresses different circumstances that can occur in a typical dental practice (Click HERE for a sample). In 2010, we have the most exciting series yet - we examine the consequences of what can happen if infection control lapses occur (Click HERE for a sample).  OSAP's partnership with PennWell Publishing further expands ICIP's reach and impact by allowing anyone 24-7 access to continuing-education credits through www.ineedce.com. Look for the special OSAP box on the lower left-hand side of the homepage.  OSAP members get a discount on EVERY continuing-education opportunity on the ineedce site!

 

OSAP also provides news, articles and research from around the world and organizes it by topic for speedy retrieval when you need it the most. Members receive The OSAP Report Online (TORO), an online compilation of important and extremely timely news, research and information. 

 

The OSAP Annual Symposia bring together experts from around the world to provide attendees with the latest information on the cutting edge issues, guidance and products. The Symposia also provides invaluable educator and consultant tools, training tips and networking opportunities to build a solid base of support. Click HERE to obtain resources from the 2010 Symposium and mark June 9-11, 2011 on your calendar for the next Symposium. The 2011 must-attend event will be held in Dallas, TX.

 

And, the organization offers "community" among all those who are interested in dental safety and infection prevention.  This new website will be adding community features to enhance the value of membership for every OSAP member.  Stay tuned! 

 

 

OSAP is based in the United States (Click HERE for contact information), but its reach is global. The organization works hard with a small staff and large number of committed member-experts to provide appropriate information about safe dental care to the worldwide dental community.  OSAP is particularly interested in supporting the needs of underserved and minority populations, refining its training modules to educate dental workers in developing countries or underserved areas, and using this website to transmit scientific information and successful prevention and intervention strategies to dental healthcare settings and the general public worldwide.

 

 

Dental educators, consultants, clinicians, researchers and policy makers join OSAP to receive: