Cleaning and disinfection of dental practice surfaces

Infection prevention is a critical aspect of dental practice and the effective cleaning of surfaces has a key role in infection control to help prevent microorganisms being transferred to patients and staff. The choice of disinfectant, the delivery format of the disinfectant and the cleaning technique all need to be taken into consideration.

It is important to understand the difference between cleaning with a detergent and the process of disinfection. Cleaning involves the removal of soil (which includes protein-based material like pus and blood) from a surface and a detergent is required for this cleaning process. Detergents free the soil from a surface by working on the chemical bonds that bind the soil to the surface in the first place. In contrast, disinfection is about killing or inactivating microorganisms. Disinfectants are chemicals, especially selected and formulated, with proven antimicrobial activity. An effective disinfectant should be certified as having been tested against European standards¹.