Decontamination of Dental Equipment and Instruments

This content discusses the importance of decontaminating dental equipment and instruments to prevent infections. It covers the proper procedures and maintenance for various dental tools, including surgical hand pieces, extraction forceps, dental chairs, aspirators, ultrasonic scalers, and X-ray machines. The potential risks of using pre-used sterile goods are also highlighted.

DENTAL NURSE DOMAIN

Contents
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REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

MAIN BODY
1.
a) surgical hand piece: It has been analyzed that dental hand pieces need to be sterilized and
clean before making use of them. In order to decontaminate them, they can be rinse with water
and detergent. Before using it hand pieces must also be dried.
b) extraction forceps: Extraction forceps must before be using needs to be sterilized at least for
10 hours (Lohbauer and et.al., 2017). They must be soak in cold sterility for at least a period
of 10-90 minutes.
2.
Instruments that are opened on the sterile field, whether used or not used, during the
surgical procedure must be thoroughly decontaminated prior to disinfection and/or sterilization.
There has been various standard practice in order to decontaminate the equipment’s like for
example instruments must be clean before the surgery begins so that blood drying can be
prevented.
3.
A) Dental chair: Before using the dental chair the health care unit must check that parts are
safely being placed and the chair is correctly operating. They must be serviced from
about 10-15 years.
B) Aspirator: In this according to legal requirements, water level in the sterilisers needs to
be checked. It must be flushed with water or plugged with air.
C) Hand piece: Health care professionals in order to check hand piece must make sure that
these hand pieces having effective water Cooling system, in order to increase control.
D) Ultra Sonic Scaler: These are being used to remove bits form the teeth of patients. They
must make sure that these scalers are being used at high power. Only when it can be
useful (Welbury, Duggal and Hosey, 2018).
E) X-ray machine: These machines are used to check the health status of tooth root. Dentist
must make sure that these machines provide pure graphic images of teeth.
F) X-ray processing equipment: For this it is advised to dentist to have an annual electro
mechanical inspection. These equipment’s needs to be checked once in three years.

G) Vacuum autoclave: Every dental practice must carry out a Vacuum test on a daily basis
in order to ensure that the equipment in use is genuinely capable of creating a vacuum in
the autoclave chamber.
H) Non Vacuum autoclave: In every PR actioner needs to make sure that equipment’s are
properly being used by sterilising them before surgery.
I) Washer Dryer: Disinfector lubricator can be used to test the efficiency of washer dryer.
This must be done of quarterly basis.
4.
a) Dental chair: In order to maintain Dental chair, they must be given to maintenance
services. These services must be done at regular intervals. Generally, from a period of 10-
15 years.
b) Aspirator: In this suction must be cleaned with hot water so that it becomes Dis-
infected. Bleach and water can also be used to clean it.
c) Hand piece: Water must be flush through hand pieces and also it must be sterilized
before using it. Hand piece waterlines also must be flushed.
d) Ultrasonic scaler: For maintain scaler, excess powder contained on it must be cleaned.
Insert must be washed with the help of scaler cleaning wire.
e) X-Ray machine: This machine must be cleaned with the help of tube. Sealed tubes can
also be used to clean X-ray machine (Darvell, 2018).
f) X-ray processing equipment: For maintain X-ray processing equipment the tools which
are required is cleaning solvent and cloth.
g) Vacuum autoclave: In order to clean this steel wool, wire brush or bleach can be used. It
must always be rinse.
h) Non Vacuum autoclave: To maintain it, this must be cleaned from a period of every 20
cycles or once in a week.
i) Washer Dryer: To maintain this dentists can make use of polishers or mirrors to keep it
hygienic.
5.
A) If patient have been disclosed with Hepatitis B, then it must be reported to physician
periodontists and endodontists. In this physician can help them in determine the type of

hepatitis (Waggoner and Nelson, 2019). The process of doing this that patient must be
called in clinic by dentist
b) It must be reported as Hepatitis B is of the major concern for dentist, as there may chances
that patient is still carrying the infection, as the infection lasts for about 3 months. Patient
must only be treated for emergency problems.
6.
A) If patient is suffering from cold sores, then they must report to dermatologist. Some
dentist does not treat patients who are having cold sores.
B) It must be reported as the infection can cause pain to service users and also patients can
become ill if they are having cold sores.
7
A) If ultrasonic scaler is damaged, then it must be reported to the manufacturer. As if ultra-
sonic scalar is damaged then it can cause harm to teeth of patient and they can even
permanently loss a tooth.
B) It should be reported so that no harm is being caused to service users while getting treated
and no infection is being caused to them.
8
A) A helix device is a type of appliance that can be used in the upper teeth and also
cemented in the mouth. It is similar to bi-helices and tri-helices that were developed.
Since, it can be fits behind teeth which are not visible. Many patients have required
between 2-4 days to become adjust the devices (Sidorov, Dimitrova and Cacchione,
2019).
B) it can be tested and kind of simulation that designed to validate testing steam penetration
capabilities. It is look at same as load inside chamber which has considered chemical
indicator.
C) A Helix device can be used by medical professionals that work gently pushing the teeth
outwards, which eventually spread in the upper arch. It is the most suitable devices that
maintain and control adjustment of shape of teeth in proper manner.
D) Helix device provide the better results for maintaining positioning of interior teeth and
also maintain relationship to mandibular teeth. As a result, it has increased chances of
displacement of permanent germs from root level.

E) This type of helix device is used for orthodontics that align with the straighten teeth
positioning and help for constantly pressure to adjust teeth in properly. In this way, it can
be recorded the set up where generate molds, rays and other type of impression made. It
is the most efficient technique for recording all condition of teeth and their adjustment
position in mouth.
9
A) TST is a type of instrument that mainly indicate the temperature, time and steam. These
are major parameter which required to achieve the effectiveness at the time of
sterilization process (Balasubramanian, Short and Gallagher, 2018). This type of
indicator is also Known as test strips.
B) It is mainly used to test strips where indicate chemical and provide accurate result or
outcome. The strip is use within autoclave system for controlling overall temperature.
C) TST strip is used at the time of sterilisation cycle which complete the entire process.
Afterwards, it has found that strip colours change when it shows condition.
D) TST strip is required the change colour that should be indicated within condition in
proper manner. In this way, it can be recorded result or outcome.
E) the strip is recorded the results in the indicator paper which provide the information or
data. It also analysed PH test strip chart which contain 30 days reading for long period of
time.
10
A) Bowie-Dick test is a type of process cycle that demonstrate proper air removal from
particular chamber. In this way, it can be described the cool air as a barrier that prevent steam
from load penetration.
B) The Bowie-Dick test useful for testing overall vacuum cycle that are properly
sterilizing wrapper packets and goods (Pankhurst, Scully and Samaranayake, 2017).
C) it will be tested that require to place small disposable packing into running cycle of
sterilization process and also maintained in proper manner.
D) It is required the proper result through Bowie-Dick test that find integrity in the pre-
vacuum chamber and completion cycle. On the other hand, it also findings the leak rate which
mainly displayed control screen in proper manner.

E) The Bowie-Dick test can be recorded an accurate test sheet in the form of black
uniform strips. In this way, it can easily examine the colour change and identify overall process
of cycle effectively and efficiently.
11
A) There is a vacuum pump which is inside the device which helps in removing all the air
inside or it forces out for pumping the steam in the device so that it can do its work which is
expected out of it. There will be high pressure and temperature inside the device which is a very
important factor so that they can make the process will take lesser time to complete its work.
B) The microorganisms the products is working against are fungi, viruses and spores
which can be inactivated for the healthy life (Holland, 2018). It is very important in a hospital to
be careful of these factors so that there is a healthy environment in the place where people go for
getting better.
C) If there is any leak, any malfunctioning or any leak which is taking place in the device
then there is a check so that process is not having troubles in making the health of the people
worst and try to make it better for the people to live longer and that is a very important role of a
vacuum autoclave. There have to be tightness in the pipes and other instruments which are used
in the device so that the working of vacuum autoclave can take place.
D) The items which the vacuum autoclaves can sterilize are pipette tips, syringes, high
density polyethylene, etc. It is very important to be careful with the items which are going inside
the device so that the work of the vacuum autoclave can be done properly and not having to
compromise any troubles in the health of the people.
12
A) There is no vacuum which is being used in this autoclave and it is helping the
sterilization to take place deeper and better. It is very helpful for items which are raw instruments
and this is used in hospitals for the betterment of the health of the people so that they can remain
healthy, and they do not have health issues which can trouble them.
B) This device will deactivate the microorganism such as fungi, bacteria, viruses but not
completely because this devise does not give surety with the delivery of the devise to the users.
C) It is very friendly for using it and there are a lot of hospitals which are using this
because it is not time-consuming and fulfilling the requirement very quickly and that is a very
important factor. It can be tested in a hollow item if the germs are killed for the use or not. It is

very important to sterilize the items which are being used in the hospital and therefore it is being
used.
D) There are a lot of items which can be sterilized in this devise be it solid, liquid, hollow
or instruments which are of different shapes and sizes. Instruments, laboratory, surgical, other
places where it is required for it to function is very important for the people to understand the
importance of this devise (Awojobi and et.al., 2018).
13
It is very important to pre-clean the used instrument as in order to remove inorganic and
organic material that can be presented over dental equipment’s. Cleaning can help in saving
patients from infection (Poulsen and et.al., 2016.). Dry soils must also be removed so that
damaging of instruments can be removed.
14
There is various risk that is being associated with failing to decontaminate the equipment
and instrument. Infection can be caused with blood borne viruses such as hepatitis B and HIV.
So the instruments must be decontaminated.
15
The potential impact of using pre-used sterile goods is that, it can cause harmful disease like
hepatitis and even HIV aids can be caused by using it. Patient can get more ill while making use
of pre-used sterile goods

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Awojobi, O and et.al., 2018. The evaluation of an innovative dental nurse training pilot
scheme. British dental journal. 224(11). p.875.
Balasubramanian, M., Short, S.D. and Gallagher, J.E., 2018. Dental professionals for a new
century: Transforming dentistry through interprofessional education and
collaborative practice. Indian Journal of Dental Research. 29(4). p.401.
Darvell, B.W., 2018. Materials science for dentistry. Woodhead publishing.
Holland, C., 2018. Mini MCM a mega experience for dental nurse Claire. BDJ Team. 5(9).
p.18167.
Lohbauer, U. and et.al., 2017. ADM guidance-Ceramics: all-ceramic multilayer interfaces in
dentistry. Dental Materials.33(6). pp.585-598.
Pankhurst, C.L., Scully, C. and Samaranayake, L., 2017. Dental unit water lines and their
disinfection and management: a review. Dental update. 44(4). pp.284-292.
Poulsen, S. and et.al., 2016. Pediatric Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry: The
Perspectives. Pediatric Dentistry: A Clinical Approach. p.1.
Sidorov, I., Dimitrova, B. and Cacchione, P.Z., 2019. An oral health baseline of need at a
predominantly African American Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
(PACE): Opportunities for dental-nursing collaboration.
Waggoner, W.F. and Nelson, T., 2019. Restorative dentistry for the primary dentition.
In Pediatric Dentistry (pp. 304-328). Content Repository Only!.
Welbury, R., Duggal, M.S. and Hosey, M.T. eds., 2018. Paediatric dentistry. Oxford university
press