70% of dentists in Japan leave drills inadequately sterilized
Up to 70 percent of dental clinics use instruments for drilling teeth that are improperly sterilized, according to a recent survey.
The survey, conducted by a team comprising researchers from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other entities, called on clinics to change drilling instruments after using them to treat patients as it could otherwise place other patients at risk of viral or bacterial infection.
The survey focused on the sterility of drill handles, which do not make direct contact with the teeth, but can easily become covered in saliva and blood when placed in a patient’s mouth during treatment.
According to Japanese Association for Dental Science guidelines, standard measures against hospital infection stipulate that a used medical instrument must be replaced with one that has been sterilized at high temperatures before a new patient is treated.
Source: News On japan
Published: 22 May 2014
