Rating detergent information

The importance of good cross-infection control has been brought to the forefront of dental care after the emergence of prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. These prions readily collect on stainless steel surfaces, such as dental instruments, and are not denatured by heat alone during steam sterilisation. The responsibility for instrument sterilisation within general dental practices often lies with the dental nurse. Hence nurses, in particular, will be aware of the changes in the cleaning and sterilisation processes and the effect it has on the daily running of a dental practice.

The introduction of stricter and more time-consuming techniques along with new technology, such as washer-disinfectors, aims to not only improve infection control for patients but also for staff members. Although general guidance is available on the temperature, time, water quality and energy created by water jets, ultrasonics or manual cleaning, the information available on the properties of detergents is often obscure or lacking.