Current Challenges in Environmental Decontamination and Instrument Reprocessing

Decontamination of the clinical working environment and reprocessing of reusable dental instruments and devices are key components of modern infection control. This narrative review, which is part of a special issue devoted to contemporary infection control practices, highlights the latest evidence and the potential role of emerging technologies. The underpinning concepts of environmental decontamination and reprocessing have remained unchanged for many years, and key principles such as cleaning before disinfection or sterilisation remain true to the present day. What has changed in recent years are the range of options available, most notably for no-touch decontamination as an adjunct to regular environmental cleaning methods, including vapourised hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and ultraviolet C irradiation. In the realm of sterilisation, newer approaches include solar autoclaves and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilisation. With all new and emerging technologies, greater attention is now being paid to safety as well as effectiveness, with stronger consideration of environmental impacts. This is especially relevant to the use of fully disposable surgical instruments vs reusable instruments. Because dental clinics have many configurations and sizes, each clinic needs to undertake local risk assessments to inform their decisions regarding suitable decontamination and reprocessing methods.