Preclinics of Conservative Dental Medicine · MU Sofia
31. Aseptics and antiseptics; acute infectious diseases – ways of protection.
Covers asepsis and antisepsis, the definitions of cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, and standard precautions. It then sets out routes of cross-infection in the dental office and a table of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, tuberculosis, herpes, influenza and COVID-19 with their spread and protection. Further sections address personal protection, the Spaulding classification with a reprocessing sequence and autoclave conditions, surface and waterline care, and steps after a sharps injury, with a key-points summary.
Topic 31 of 53 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Preclinics of Conservative Dental Medicine (Dental Medicine, Year 3). The free AceMed note covers it in 7 sections, about 894 words (7 min of reading), with 17 flashcards.
In this note
Introduction
Definitions
Cross-infection and acute infectious diseases
Personal protection
Instruments: Spaulding classification and sterilisation
Surfaces, water, sharps injuries and waste
Key points
Introduction
Aseptics (asepsis) and antiseptics (antisepsis) are the measures that stop micro-organisms passing between patients, staff and instruments. Blood, saliva and aerosols contaminate the dental office, and most carriers of hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV cannot be recognised, so everyone receives the same protection.
Definitions
Asepsis (Greek a- "without", sepsis "putrefaction"): preventing micro-organisms from reaching a wound or sterile field – sterile instruments, no-touch technique.
Antisepsis: killing or inhibiting micro-organisms on living tissue (skin, mucosa): alcohol 70%, chlorhexidine (0.12–0.2% mouthrinse, 2–4% skin), povidone-iodine.
Cleaning: removing visible soil and organic debris; it always comes before disinfection and sterilisation.
Disinfection: killing pathogens on objects and surfaces, not necessarily spores. Levels: high (glutaraldehyde 2%, peracetic acid), intermediate – tuberculocidal (alcohols, chlorine compounds) – and low (quaternary ammonium).
Sterilisation: destruction of all microbial life, including spores.
Standard precautions: every patient is treated as potentially infectious – hand hygiene, protective equipment, safe sharps, reprocessed instruments, clean surfaces, respiratory hygiene.
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