Surface cleaning in practice

Effective cleaning and disinfection of surfaces has always been an intrinsic element of infection control in dental practices. Protocols are usually based on the recommendations of HTM 01-05, which states that areas “local to the dental chair need to be cleaned between each patient”.¹ However, the recent pandemic has further heightened the need for robust cleaning practices. The Covid-19: Infection prevention and control dental appendix guidance states that “the frequency of cleaning across all risk pathways should be increased during the pandemic”.²

Dental staff and patients are exposed to a variety of infectious materials during the delivery of care. Numerous pathogenic microorganisms colonise the oral/nasal cavities and respiratory tract, with the potential to be disseminated throughout the treatment area. This means that both bacterial and viral pathogens may contaminate environmental surfaces. If these surfaces are not cleaned, they become reservoirs of infectious material. The longer microorganisms are allowed to remain on surfaces, the higher the chance of additional contamination of other surfaces, instruments, devices, and equipment.³