When Performance Meets Practice Needs

Choosing a surface disinfectant starts with efficacy, but dental professionals also need a product that fits seamlessly into the daily workflow—a balance Dr. Joanne Szemborski found with DisCide Ultra.

The Palmero surface disinfectant has been part of her infection-control routine for more than a decade, supporting efficient operatory turnover in a busy clinical environment.

Her decision to switch to the product came after a receptionist mentioned that the unpleasant smell of the practice’s previous disinfectant was making her feel ill. “I started researching what we were using,” Dr. Szemborski recalled.

As she learned more about surface disinfectants, she began considering factors ranging from product performance to chemical exposure to the overall working environment. Looking for an alternative, she chose DisCide Ultra because its one-minute contact time, alcohol-based formulation, and compatibility with her practice workflow fit her needs.

“We’ve been using that ever since—it’s the only product we use to clean and disinfect,” she said.

Efficiency Without Compromise

A single-step, ready-to-use surface disinfectant and decontaminant cleaner, DisCide Ultra is designed to help practices simplify between-patient cleaning with a one-minute contact time.

For Dr. Szemborski, the rapid turnaround helps her team prepare operatories efficiently while maintaining their infection-control protocols.

She also appreciates DisCide Ultra's light, clean scent and quick drying time, which make the clinical environment more pleasant for both the dental team and patients.

"It goes on with a light, clean scent," she said. "Once that minute is up, it's dry and odorless, which makes operatory turnover easier and more pleasant."

A Streamlined Approach to Infection Control

Today, Dr. Szemborski and dental assistant Patricia Baugh rely on both DisCide Ultra wipes and spray, choosing the format best suited to each task while maintaining the same level of efficacy.

High-touch items—including light handles, chair controls, instrument trays, and digital sensors—are protected with barriers, while the premoistened wipes are used to disinfect handpiece holders, trays, counters, and other clinical surfaces between patients. The spray is reserved for areas requiring broader coverage, including the cuspidor, suction hose connections, and other locations where saliva or blood may be present.

"We use the wipes for most surfaces and the spray where we think there could be patient contamination," Dr. Szemborski said.

For Baugh, who prepares the operatory between patients, the routine has become second nature.

"We clean just about everything," she said. "The one-minute kill time definitely gives me confidence."

That routine has served the practice well, and Dr. Szemborski has no plans to change.

"We're afraid if we try something else, we're not going to like the way it smells or how it works," she said. "This has been really good."