Dental impression disinfection recommendations and best practices

Rinsing impressions under running water doesn’t cut it. Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, discusses IC protocols for dental impressions—and why all practices need to be vigilant about this.

Although digital impressions are the way of the future, many offices will continue to use impression material as part of their standard procedures. These impressions can transport potentially infectious material, including disease-causing microorganisms such as hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and HIV, out of the dental office and contaminate others in the community. In this instance, what happens in the dental office doesn’t always stay in the dental office.

Appropriate disinfection of dental impressions?