Guide: How to Clean and Disinfect a Cordless Hygiene Handpiece

Minimizing the risk of infection is critical to proper dental care. Even with a barrier sleeve, your dental handpiece can become contaminated with oral flora and debris. Now, more than ever, it's a good idea to review the steps to cleaning and disinfecting your cordless dental handpiece.

Cleaning

1. Remove the prophy angle, nosecone, and barrier sleeve. Properly dispose of used items.
2. Clean the handpiece by wiping all external surfaces with presaturated disinfectant wipes. Alternatively, you can use a dental disinfectant spray and a soft, clean cloth to wipe all surfaces. Make sure your disinfectant is compatible with your handpiece.
3. Use one wipe to remove the blood and oral debris from handpiece surfaces.
4. Use a second wipe to continue cleaning surfaces.
5. If surfaces are highly contaminated, use additional wipes to ensure a thorough cleaning.
6. Keep surfaces wet for a minimum of 2 minutes during cleaning.
7. Discard each wipe after use.
8. Allow handpiece surfaces to air dry.
9. Inspect the device for any remaining soil and remove it with additional wipes.

Disinfection

Wipe all handpiece surfaces with presaturated disinfectant wipes, ensuring that all surfaces are thoroughly wet.

Place the dental handpiece in the cradle and let it sit for a minimum of 6 minutes to disinfect and air dry. 

If the handpiece isn't dry after 6 minutes, wipe any damp surfaces dry with a soft, clean cloth.

Add a new barrier sleeve, disinfected nosecone and prophy angle. 

You're good to go!

Note: This is a general summary of handpiece processing. Always read and follow any cleaning instructions, instructions for use, maintenance procedures or other documentation included with your handpiece.

By Sherri Ledbetter

About the Author: Sherri Ledbetter is a freelance dental copywriter who helps dentists and dental marketing professionals fill their content calendar and reach their marketing goals.