Sterilization and Disinfectants Used in a Dental Office- a Review

As dentists, we must disinfect and clean all equipments and countertops between patients with a recommendedhospital-grade bactericidal product. Nonvisible blood and saliva does not mean it is absent on environmentalsurfaces. Blood and saliva are present throughout dental treatment. If a patient becomes ill as a result ofan exposure to a pathogen or a bacterium that is later found in our dental office surfaces, the employer andor dentist is at risk of being responsible for the patient’s illness and associated compensatory damages.Understanding and recognizing the risk of disease will drastically reduce patient illness, practice liabilityand employee illnesses. Dentists cannot pretend that this is only a theoretical problem. Therefore the dentalcommunity needs to stay updated of the rapidly evolving standard of care and do its best to comply with thestandard of care in daily practice