Instrument Processing: Perfection and Pitfalls

Categories: Health and Medical Topics

Author(s): Leslie Canham, CDA, RDA

Course Type: Self-instruction journal and web based activity

Target Audience: Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienist, Dentists from novice to advanced

Educational Objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to

• Describe the basic principles of instrument processing in the dental setting
• Utilize checklists to increase sterilization efficiency
• Locate reliable resources for infection control

Abstract

Instruments travel from treatment room to sterilization room to storage to patient care. Learn how to assure sterilization with a step-by-step approach. Planning the flow of instrument reprocessing provides a clear, consistent, and easy to follow pathway to a set of steps to assure that contaminated patient-care items are re-processed properly and made safe for reuse.  Common errors and misconceptions will be discussed, along with examples of “dos and don’ts” to help participants to recognize pitfalls and achieve perfection in sterilization of instruments.  

Dental workers are often trained on the job by another team member. Necessary steps to properly  re-processing instruments may get lost in translation.  Instruments that do not achieve sterilization could lead to patient infection transmission. To ensure consistency in sterilization of instruments, dental workers can create personalized checklists.  In addition, they need access to the manufacturer’s directions for use and standard operating procedures for:  sterilizers, ultrasonic or instrument  washers/disinfectors, hand-piece cleaners and all products used for infection control.