Dental Handpiece Care and Processing

Following recommended methods for cleaning, maintaining and sterilizing handpieces can provide a safe care environment for patients and staff.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
After reading this course, the participant should be able to:

1. Discuss disease transmission in dental settings.
2. Describe when federal infection prevention guidelines were introduced, the nature of the recommendations, and the basic principles of infection control.
3. List U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dental handpiece sterilization guidelines.
4. Explain the need to consider recommendations from CDC, as well as device manufacturers, when cleaning, maintaining and sterilizing handpieces.

This course was issued in July 2020 and expires July 2023. The authors have no commercial conflicts of interest to disclose. This 2 credit hour self-study activity is electronically mediated.