Protective gown or apron.

Gloves.

Facemask with/without shield.

Protective eyewear.

Long hair should be tied back or placed under a hair covering.

No dangling earrings.

Jewelry should be avoided.

Bare below the elbows.

Practice proper hand hygiene:

• Wash hands adequately before and after treating patients.

  • Alcohol.

  • Hand sanitizers.

  • Soap.

• Avoid rings and long or acrylic fingernails as they can trap dirt, debris, and bacteria.

• Jewelry can tear through protective gloves and promote contamination.

• Glove types determine potential contact dermatitis/latex sensitivity. Following types of gloves are used:

  • Utility gloves.

  • Nitrile gloves.

  • Sterile surgery gloves.

  • Overgloves.

• Avoid unnecessary contact with used gloves to avoid cross contamination.

• Change gloves frequently, especially when they are visibly soiled.

Surface disinfection:

• Follow appropriate directions when using disinfectant wipes or solutions.

• Allow sufficient surface contact time:

  • Avoid wiping away the cleaner prematurely.

• Clean surfaces to remove debris before disinfection:

  • Preclean before disinfecting.

• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered hospital-grade disinfectants.

Barriers:

• Barriers must be replaced between patients.

Effective instrument processing:

• Clean the instruments first to remove visible debris.

• Avoid banding instruments together or overloading the ultrasonic tank.

  • Allow full penetration of the ultrasonic solution and its activity to all surfaces of the instruments.

• Avoid using dish soap or cold sterile solution instead of ultrasonic solution.

Proper instrument wrapping:

• Use the correct type of wrap or packaging material.

• Seal the wraps or pouches correctly.

• Do not place too many instruments in the wrap or pouch.

• Dry the instruments before wrapping.

Avoid sterilization pit falls:

• Allow adequate time for the cycle to run and be completed.

• Ensure appropriate sterilization temperature and pressure.

• Adequately preclean the instruments prior to sterilization.

• Do not overload the sterilizer.

• Ensure an adequate drying cycle for autoclaves.

• Ensure that the gaskets and seals are effective.

• Avoid bulky or improper packaging.

• Ensure adequate spacing of instrument packets.

• Periodically test and ensure proper operation of the sterilization unit.

• Use the correct type of sterilization packaging material to achieve desired sterilization.

  • Some materials may prevent the sterilizing agent from reaching inside the instruments.

  • Certain plastics may melt.

  • Paper products may burn or char.

  • Thick cloths may unnecessarily retain steam or chemical vapor.

  • Closed containers are not appropriate for steam or unsaturated chemical vapor sterilizers.

  • Lint fibers may cause postoperative complications and serve as vehicles for microorganisms, increasing the risk of infection for surgical patients.

• Avoid sterilization of unwrapped instruments.

• An unwrapped cycle, sometimes called a flash sterilization, is a method of sterilizing unwrapped patient-care items for immediate use.

• Unwrapped sterilization should be used only in cases when:

  • Thorough cleaning and drying of instruments precedes the unwrapped sterilization cycle.

  • Mechanical monitors are checked and chemical indicators are used for each cycle.

  • Care is taken to avoid thermal injury to dental workers or patients.

  • Items are transported aseptically to the treatment site to maintain sterility.

Avoid malfunctioning sterilizers:

• Perform spore testing weekly.

• Service the sterilization unit according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Ensure proper voltage for the unit.

• Use distilled water for autoclaves.

Treat dental unit water lines:

• Flush water lines between each patient.

• Perform periodic testing of water lines to monitor safe water quality.

• Use sterile water delivery systems for surgical procedures (sterile saline or sterile water).

Ensure that single-use disposable items are only used for a single visit.

• Saliva ejectors.

• Evacuation tips.

• Disposable air/water syringe tips.

• Paper/plastic sterilization pouches or wraps.

• Any other item intended for single use.