Is your handpiece contaminated?

A look at how disinfection and decontamination relates to dental handpieces.

Cleaning and disinfection of dental handpieces has never been more important. As the industry comes to terms with a new operating paradigm, staff and patients need to be sure that equipment is safe.

Although the most common routes of transmission for Covid-19 are via direct transmission, such as a cough or a sneeze and subsequent droplet inhalation, and contact transmission (particularly with the nose, mouth and eyes), evidence is emerging all the time of airborne aerosol transmission and transmission via saliva.

Some dental procedures can generate saliva droplets and aerosols which have the potential to contaminate anyone exposed to them or be inhaled. In addition, saliva contaminated droplets and aerosols have the potential to contaminate inanimate surfaces in a dental clinical setting.

This isn’t a fleeting problem; the virus can remain infectious in the air for hours and remain active on inanimate surfaces for several days.