Disinfectant Selection in the Dental Space – Are You Choosing the Right One?

Why is choosing a disinfectant so important?

Disinfection in the dental space is crucial for several reasons. Dental professionals often encounter saliva, blood, and other body fluids, so choosing a disinfectant that eliminates these pathogens creates a more hygienic environment that promotes infection prevention and patient safety. Proper cleaning and disinfection of the environment protects dental staff as well. Choosing a disinfectant that is compatible with equipment can ensure that the equipment lasts as long as possible while keeping the surfaces disinfected and looking new.

Compatibility & Standardization

Compatibility is a bigger deal than people realize. Dental equipment is expensive, so choosing a disinfectant that is compatible with your equipment protects your investment. To ensure that a disinfectant is compatible with your equipment, you need to reference the Manufacturer’s Instructions for Use (IFU). PDI constantly works with equipment manufacturers to encourage testing of our products on their medical devices to ensure compatibility, and even has a compatibility database to make it easier for dentists and other healthcare professionals to verify compatibility. SurgiMac is a dental disinfectant fulfillment partner than can assist  you in obtaining a PDI product that will meet your compatibility needs.

EPA Registration, Efficacy, and PPE

In addition to compatibility, ensuring that a disinfectant is effective is essential. In the dental space, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant effective against bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) should be used. The EPA regulates disinfectants to ensure the pesticide meets specific standards before they can be used by the public.

Reading the product label of an EPA-registered product will let you know the specific microorganisms that is effective against and how long a surface must stay wet for the disinfectant to be effective against that microorganism. You may also hear this period referred to as a “contact time,” “wet time,” or “kill time.” Choosing a disinfectant with a contact/wet/kill time you can reasonably obtain is also an important consideration in your infection prevention strategy.

Some disinfectants require that you wear PPE while disinfecting, and the label of an EPA-registered disinfectant will provide you with this information as well. Although gloves and eye protection are not required by the labels of some products, you may choose to wear them as part of standard precautions. Disinfecting surfaces in a dental space may mean that you’re expecting to wipe up blood, saliva, or other potentially infectious materials, and wearing gloves will protect you from coming into contact with pathogens that may be on the surface.

All PDI disinfectant wipes available on SurgiMac are EPA-registered, ensuring you can maintain a high standard of infection control in your practice. Below is a handy guide to some top PDI disinfectant wipes you can easily access:

Choosing the right disinfectant can significantly impact the safety and efficiency of your dental practice. For more detailed product information and a wider selection of PDI products, visit SurgiMac’s PDI Disinfectant Collection.