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.