![]() It is good practice to place the strips in a different location of the sterilizer each week to help identify any “cold spots” within the sterilizer.Īll staff members who operate the sterilizer should receive training about proper sterilizer operation procedures and instrument processing techniques in the office. If there are no instructions, place the spore test strip within a wrapped set of instruments in the most difficult area to be sterilized, which is normally the lower front area of the sterilizer. The glassine-bound spore strips should be placed according to the sterilizer manufacturer’s instructions. Lot number and expiration date are printed on each glassine. It allows the laboratory to transport the strip within the glassine from the sterilizer to a laminar flow hood, where it can be properly handled. Glassine paper is permeable to sterilant but resistant to moisture and air at ambient temperature/pressure. Specific spores, Geobacillus stearothermophilus for steam/chemical sterilizers and Bacillus atrophaeus for dry heat sterilizers, are inoculated onto strips of specialized filter paper that is packaged in a peel-open, glassine paper pouch. ![]() Records retention requirements of spore test results vary by state check with your state dental board for more information.Īlso referred to as spore testing, biological monitoring consists of using biological indicators impregnated with highly resistant, nonpathogenic bacterial spores to test a sterilizer’s function. When spores are killed during a sterilization cycle, it is assumed that all microorganisms have been destroyed and sterilization is achieved. ![]() Biological monitoring is the standard for assuring proper sterilization of dental instruments.īoth the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association recommend, and most state dental boards require, that dental offices verify the proper functioning of the sterilization cycle at least weekly using a biological indicator, such as the OSHA Review’s Spore Check System from OSHA Review, Inc. Regular sterilizer monitoring in a dental office, when properly implemented, is an important part of infection control verification, and includes a combination of process parameters to evaluate the sterilizing conditions and the sterilizer’s effectiveness. ![]()
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