The Importance of Sterilisation Procedures

As we all know, our mouth is home to many microorganisms and these have the potential to cause dental problems if not monitored. The growth and spread of these organisms should be effectively checked, which is when dental sterilisation becomes so important.

In most cases the bacteria found in the mouth originate from your bloodstream. The other way bacteria are spread is from a sore throat or a cold. If the bacteria of one person make it to another person it can become even more dangerous and can create serious complications.

Dentists use many different instruments to complete dental procedures. As these instruments enter the mouth of a person they are exposed to a host of microorganisms, which is why it becomes very important to effectively sterilise instruments.

There are three major methods that can be used to sterilise dental instruments. The first is dry and involves heating the dental instruments to a very high temperature. Most of the harmful bacteria are not able to survive high temperatures. The second method that can be used to get rid of bacteria is steam. This method involves a combination of high temperature and pressure to kill all kinds of microorganisms. The time taken for this method depends on the pressure used, as the higher the pressure the less time it takes. The third method used is heated chemicals, where the gas formed by the heating of a mixture of chemicals is used to sterilise the instruments.

While all the above mentioned method are very effective ways of getting rid of bacteria, immersing these instruments into disinfecting solution before using the advanced sterilising methods should not be overlooked. Traces of blood or other organic matter should be thoroughly removed and while handling a patient the dentist should wash their hands with soap or disinfecting gel and use gloves. This is not only beneficial for the patient, but for the dentist as well.