Disinfection and environmental safety: Dental assisting

Disinfection of environmental surfaces in the dental setting is essential to help eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on contaminated surfaces. Even though a surface looks clean, it can serve as a reservoir for microorganisms!

Proper cleaning and disinfection interrupts disease transmission,

and protects patients, dental team members, and the community.

As a dental assistant, understanding how to prevent transmission of infection is essential for maintaining environmental safety.

Okay, first let’s look at the main ty pes of environmental surfaces in dentistry: clinical contact surfaces and housekeeping surfaces.

Clinical contact surfaces include touch surfaces that are directly touched during patient care, like dental light handles, drawer handles, and chairside computer keyboards;

and transfer surfaces that are not directly touched but come in contact with contaminated instruments or materials, such as instrument trays, intraoral X-ray equipment, or handpiece holders.

On the other hand, housekeeping surfaces include floors, walls, sinks, and other surfaces that don’t typically come into direct contact with the dental team, patients, or contaminated dental instruments. These surfaces carry a lower risk of disease transmission.

Now, surface contamination is expected in dental settings. It primarily results from aerosols, spatters, and droplets generated during procedures,

especially when using rotary or ultrasonic instruments.

Surfaces can also become contaminated through contact with contaminated gloves, instruments, equipment, or other materials.

Because surface contamination is an everyday occurrence in dental settings, management of surface contamination must be systematic and consistent. The two primary methods to manage surface contamination include the use of surface barriers, and precleaning and disinfecting between patients.

Surface barriers are single-use, disposable, fluid-resistant materials placed on surfaces that are difficult to clean, such as knobs, switches, and handles. When cleaning between patients, carefully remove and discard the contaminated barriers and apply a clean surface barrier, taking care to avoid accidentally touching the clean surfaces with the contaminated barrier. Keep in mind that even though the surfaces have been covered with barriers, they will need to be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each workday.