The ADA has released a technical report that gives dental practitioners guidance on cleaning reusable instruments.
The report, titled "American Dental Association Technical Report No. 168: Guidance on Method Development and Validation of Cleaning Processes for Dental Instruments," outlines a cleaning process for reprocessing devices such as rotary bur and diamond instruments, the association said.
"We, as dentists, need to recognize that our instruments are classified as medical devices, and there are rules and regulations that must be followed when using them," said Dr. Neill Luebke, chair of the association's Standards Committee on Dental Products dental instruments subcommittee, in a statement released by the ADA. "Ignoring single-use indicators or failing to properly reprocess can have implications that could ultimately compromise one's license, to say nothing of repercussions that might occur with regard to a patient's treatment."
