Practice safety

On page 42 of the Department of Health's HTM01-05 it clearly states that all impressions, prostheses and orthodontic appliances must be: "Decontaminated in a multi-step process to be conducted in accord with the device or material manufacturer's instructions. Immediately after removal from the mouth, any device should be rinsed under clean running water. This process should continue until the device is visibly clean. All devices should then receive disinfection according to the manufacturer's instructions. This will involve the use of specific cleaning materials noted in the CE-marking instructions. After disinfection, the device should again be thoroughly washed. This process should occur before and after any device is placed in a patient's mouth. If the device is to be returned to a supplier/laboratory or in some other fashion sent out of the practice, a label to indicate that a decontamination process has been used should be affixed to the package."

In reality this means that every time you take a dental impression it must be thoroughly rinsed, disinfected and rinsed again before it is sent to the laboratory. Likewise when you receive the crown, bridge, denture or whatever other type of appliance the laboratory has manufactured for you it must be similarly disinfected and rinsed before it is placed in the patient's mouth. If the appliance is then returned to the laboratory, for whatever reason, the same cycle must be repeated both before sending it back and before reinserting it into the patient's mouth at the next appointment. This protocol must be repeated until the patient leaves the practice with the final restoration or appliance. In between times, the laboratory will similarly be rinsing and disinfecting the impression or device upon receipt within the laboratory and before sending it back to the practice. That is a lot of rinsing and disinfecting.