Many people experience undue anxiety about visiting the dentist. In recent years, the remote possibility of being exposed to AIDS or other infections in the dental office has heightened that anxiety. But dentists take a host of precautions throughout the day to protect their patients. You may not be aware that sterilization and other infection control precautions take place, because many of these procedures occur out of your view.

Universal precautions are safety procedures established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. They are used for each and every patient to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus and other infectious diseases. These precautions require all dental staff involved in patient care to use appropriate protective garb such as gloves, and sometimes masks and eyewear. After each patient visit, the gloves are discarded, hands are washed and a new pair of gloves is used for the next patient.

According to a recent study in the journal of the American Dental Association, virtually all dentists sterilize their handpiece (drill) between patients. Dental offices follow specific heat sterilization procedures which are outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. Disposable items, such as needles and saliva ejectors, cannot be sterilized and are discarded in special containers.

Dental instruments are cleaned and sterilized at very high temperatures after each time they are used on a patient. Recommended sterilization methods include: an autoclave (steam under pressure), a dry heat oven, or chemical vapor (commonly called a chemiclave). The sterilization equipment usually is not in the treatment room, but if you'd like to see how and where it's done, ask the dental staff to show you.

Before you enter the examining room, all surfaces, such as the dental chair, dental light, drawer handles and countertops have been cleaned and decontaminated. Some offices may cover this equipment with protective covers, which are replaced after each patient. Sharp items and anything contaminated with blood or saliva are disposed of in special containers.