Avoid Contamination: Guidelines For Your Practice

I’m sure there was a time in dental history when every tool in the practice was multi-use. Not so today, of course. Many of the instruments and devices you use in your practice are single use, with the main goal of preventing cross-contamination and infection. So, the key word in that previous sentence is “many.” In other words, not all. You still encounter multi-use products, such as dispensers. The challenge with these devices is that heat sterilization and high-level disinfectant immersion will cause damage.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends disposing of contaminated multi-use dispensers.

To avoid contamination, follow these dos and don’ts.

DO:
    •    Apply disposable barrier sleeves/wraps over multi-use dispensers before use with each patient.
    •    Use new, uncontaminated gloves when handling multi-use dispensers.
    •    Let dental assistants dispense material for you.
    •    Avoid contact of the reusable parts (for example, the dispenser body) with the patient’s mouth.
DON’T:
    •    Reuse the multi-use dental dispenser if it becomes contaminated.
    •    Reprocess a contaminated multi-use dental dispenser with chemical wipes or disinfectants.
    •    Immerse or sterilize multi-use dental dispensers in a high-level chemical disinfectant. Immersion and sterilization may damage the dispenser and the material inside.

Now that you know how to properly care for your dental dispensers, check out all of the applicators, dispensers, and mixing accessories here at Dental Product Shopper.