Protect Your Practice From 

Infection Control Risk

Effective handpiece infection control is crucial, requiring a thorough understanding of and adherence to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)'s infection control guidelines. While "guidelines" might suggest advisory status, in practice, Canadian dental regulatory authorities require compliance with these guidelines as a condition for maintaining licensure. Inspections by provincial health authorities are routine, with significant penalties for non-compliance. A patient contracting a cross-infection resulting in serious illness due to a practice's failure to follow CCOHS or provincial guidelines can lead to severe consequences, including loss of license, malpractice liability, and potentially criminal charges.

CCOHS's guidelines mandate that all dental instruments in contact with oral tissues, such as handpieces, must be heat sterilized after each use. It is important to research the Standards of Practice for your province. For example, The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) specifies that dental instruments connected to the air/water supply hose, including high-speed handpieces and swivel couplers, low-speed handpieces (prophy handpieces, air motors, straight and contra-angle low-speed attachments, and reusable prophy heads), and air-driven scalers, must be heat sterilized after each patient use. Adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning, lubricating, and sterilizing these devices is imperative.

Some instrument components, like electric handpiece motors and their attachments, are permanently attached to dental unit waterlines. These components must be covered with barriers that are changed after each patient use. If contamination is suspected, these items must be cleaned and disinfected with an appropriate low-level disinfectant before seating the next patient.

Lares Research is dedicated to supporting Canadian dental practices in their infection control efforts with competitively priced, factory-direct handpieces designed for repeated heat sterilization. Together, we can protect your practice from handpiece infection control risks.