Page 21 - Compendium Chapters for Course 1 (IC, DPA, OSHA)

In addition, continual handling of air and water syringe lines, saliva ejectors, and light handles with gloved hands inadvertently leave these pieces of equipment contaminated. Because the equipment and fixtures are not removable, sterilization is not an option and disinfection of these surfaces must be accomplished.
Two general methods to protect these surfaces exist. The first is to wipe or scrub all surfaces with hospital-level (tuberculocidal) or better disinfectants between each patient. From a practical standpoint, to clean every surface is a time-consuming task, plus most disinfectant solutions recommend as much as a 10-minute waiting period before the disinfection of the operatory surfaces is achieved. Today, most dental offices use a combination of surface disinfection and barrier protection of the surface to reduce the potential of disease.
All surfaces are to be pre-cleaned before disinfection using the “SPRAY-WIPE-SPRAY-WAIT” method to ensure proper disinfection. The purpose of precleaning is to remove all contamination, both seen and unseen, as well as any bioburden that may be on clinical contact or housekeeping surfaces. Change all surface disinfectants according to manufactures directions.
The first “spray and wipe” is to clean = this can also be accomplished using properly labeled wipes with detergent properties or labeled as a germicide capable of cleaning and disinfecting. Wipe the wet areas with a disposable paper towel to dry – now the surface is CLEAN but not yet disinfected.
The second “spray and wait” is to disinfect = following the manufacturer’s instructions, re-spray or re-wipe the surfaces with a fresh disinfection wipe, making sure all areas are moist and stay wet for the required amount of time for proper germicidal kill.
INSTRUMENT CLEANING
Once a procedure is complete, the operatory must be prepared for the next patient. Instruments must be gathered and prepared for sterilization. The dental healthcare worker must wear proper personal protective equipment including utility gloves during this operation. The instruments may be washed directly at this point, although some prefer placing all instruments into a holding tank containing an intermediate (hospital-level) or better disinfectant. The benefits of this may include reduction of viable microbes before contact by the office staff and prevention of drying or crusting of debris by instruments at the beginning of the cleaning cycle. Soaking instruments for hours may lead to corrosion of the surfaces.
Intro Page - 21
Introductory Chapter: Dental Practice Act, Infection Control and Cal-OSHA
The California RDAEF: A Compendium for Licensure Success © The Foundation for Allied Dental Education, Inc. 2016 Copyright protected. All rights reserved