Sterilization of dental instruments

The Centers for Disease Control regulates the sterilization and the disinfection of dental instruments, creating a safe environment for all patients. Dental instruments are classified into 3 categories:

1. Critical: used to penetrate soft tissue, or enter into or contact the bloodstream or other normally sterile tissue. They should be sterilized after each use by steam under pressure (autoclaving) and include forceps, scalpels, bone chisels, scalers and surgical burs.
2. Semi-critical: do not penetrate soft tissues or bone but contact mucous membranes or non-intact skin, such as mirrors, reusable impression trays and amalgam condensers. They should be sterilized after each use, or may be disinfected. 
3. Non-critical: come in contact only with intact skin such as external components of x-ray heads, blood pressure cuffs, etc. These devices have a relatively low risk of transmitting infection and may be reprocessed by a low-level disinfection.

All critical and semi-critical dental instruments that are heat stable must be sterilized after each use by steam under pressure (autoclaving), dry heat, or chemical vapor. Before sterilization or high-level disinfection, instruments should be cleaned so that any debris is removed. Heavy-duty gloves should be worn when handling contaminated instruments. Instruments should soak in water or disinfectant/detergent as soon as possible after use to prevent drying of debris. 

Packaging rinsed and dried instruments before sterilization protects them from contamination after they are removed from the sterilizer and during transport chairside or to storage. 

Proper functioning of sterilization cycles should be verified by periodic use of spore tests called biologic indicators. 

Information taken from the American Dental Association:

http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/cdc_sterilization.pdf

Dr. Steven Wolfson follows all sterilization regulations and takes every precaution to provide a safe and clean environment for his team and his patients. The autoclave equipment is verified by spore tests weekly to ensure that all of our instruments are sterilized properly.