Do you sterilize the instruments including the handpiece (drill) after each patient?
According to a recent study in the journal of the American Dental Association, virtually all dentists sterilize their handpiece (drill) between patients. Dental offices follow specific heat sterilization procedures which are outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. Disposable items, such as needles and saliva ejectors, cannot be sterilized and are discarded in special containers.