Why sterilisation standards should decide your clinic

Patients compare clinics on price and appearance. The thing that actually protects you is invisible: the sterilisation protocol behind the treatment room.

Instruments should be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath, pouched, and processed in a Class B vacuum autoclave — the only class that reliably sterilises hollow and wrapped instruments. Every cycle should be logged and periodically validated with biological spore testing.

Handpieces are the common shortcut. They must be autoclaved between every patient, not merely wiped. Ask whether they are.

Single-use items — needles, blades, suction tips, implant drills where specified — should be exactly that, opened in front of you.

A clinic doing this properly will be happy to explain it. If the question makes anyone uncomfortable, that is your answer.