038: 42 Years in Dentistry Revealed This. The Truth About Infection Control and Training Gaps | Sherrie Busby

What happens when the systems meant to protect patients and providers… aren’t actually being followed?In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, Brandi sits down with infection control expert and educator Sherrie Busby to unpack one of the most overlooked risks in dentistry, the gap between what’s taught, what’s required, and what’s actually happening inside practices.Sherrie shares the story that started it all, a real exposure to hepatitis early in her career, before PPE was standard, and how that moment shaped her path into infection control education. From there, the conversation opens into a much bigger issue, one that still exists today.Despite clear guidelines from OSHA and the CDC, most dental teams are still navigating infection control through passed-down habits, inconsistent training, and limited onboarding. The result? Misunderstandings, burnout, turnover, and potential risk to both patients and providers.This episode goes beyond protocols. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, team culture, and what it really takes to build a safe, high-functioning dental practice.If you’ve ever assumed your team “just knows” what to do, this episode will challenge that assumption.You’ll learn:Why infection control training is still a major gap in dentistryThe real reason dentists graduate with little to no infection control educationHow bad habits get passed down through teams without anyone realizing itWhy onboarding failures are driving burnout and turnover in dental officesThe “four-lane highway gap” that’s costing practices time, money, and safetyHow proper training directly impacts productivity, confidence, and cultureThe balance between hiring experts vs. training internallyWhy dental assistants are the backbone of infection control and patient safetyHow to create scalable, repeatable training systems in your practiceThe role of ownership and self-led learning in building high-performing teams🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:https://www.therealtalkofdental.com🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:https://leadhershipexperience.com/🔗 Boundary Boss GPT:https://leadhershipexperience.com/boundarybossWe talk about:00:00 The story that sparked a career in infection control03:00 Life before PPE and how safety standards evolved06:00 Why dental education is missing critical infection control training10:00 The biggest training gaps in dental practices today15:00 Why onboarding fails and how it impacts retention20:00 The ripple effect of poor training and system breakdowns24:00 Internal vs. external training, what actually works29:00 Empowering assistants and building confident teams31:00 Why doctors must invest in training (and what happens when they don’t)36:00 Final thoughts on leadership, growth, and raising the standardConnect with SherrieLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrie-busby-edda-cdso-cdipc-ab38694b/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dentalassistantconnection/ Connect with meLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/https://courageandjoyatwork.com/https://leadhershipexperience.com/Phone: 616-682-6222