A guide to the decontamination of dental handpieces

Aim

Objective

This article meets GDC development outcomes C.

Dental handpieces are the most frequently used instruments in dental surgery. They are specifically designed to bring precision to restorative, endodontic, and surgical procedures. As sophisticated, reusable medical devices with precision-engineered moving parts, they must be cleaned, decontaminated, lubricated, and sterilised with meticulous care after every use.

The internal components of handpieces are complex and consist of narrow, hollow water and air channels (lumens) and hidden surfaces that are routinely contaminated with saliva, blood and biological residues, making decontamination a constant challenge. If handpieces are not reprocessed correctly, these potential hazards remain inside the instrument, posing a risk not only to future patients, but also raising the potential of damage to the inner workings of the handpiece.