Key points
- Single-use devices, also called disposable devices, are intended for use on one patient during a single procedure.
- Single-use devices are not intended to be reprocessed (cleaned or disinfected or sterilized) and then used on another patient.
Why it matters
Dental health care personnel should practice proper methods for use and disposal of single-use devices in dental settings.
Background
Single-use devices, also called disposable devices, are intended for use on one patient during a single procedure. These devices are usually not heat-tolerant and cannot be reliably cleaned. Use these devices for one patient only and then dispose of them appropriately after one use.
A device may not include instructions for reprocessing or a label that identifies it as single-use or disposable. If a device does not have reprocessing instructions, regardless of labeling, consider it single-use.
Single-use patient-care devices sometimes have reusable heat-tolerant alternatives. Examples include prophylaxis angles, high-volume evacuator tips, impression trays, dental burs, and air and water syringe tips. When determining the cost-effectiveness of disposable and reusable devices, dental health care personnel should consider not only the cost of the disposable item, but also the cost, time, and materials involved with cleaning and reprocessing the reusable item.
Recommendations
CDC recommends that dental health care personnel use single-use devices for one patient only and then dispose of them appropriately.
More information on single-use devices is available on pages 34 and 46 of the Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings—2003.
Special considerations
Some devices―such as burs, endodontic files, and broaches―may be practical to consider single-use because the way they are constructed makes them hard to clean. In addition, cleaning and heat sterilization can lead to deterioration on the cutting surfaces and raise the potential for breakage during patient treatment.
If such devices do not have reprocessing instructions, they should be considered single-use.
Frequently asked questions
How should I appropriately dispose of single-use devices?
Most single-use devices used in dental settings can be discarded with the regular trash.
Some single-use devices meet the definition of regulated medical waste and require special handling and disposal according to federal, state, and local rules and regulations. One example is solid waste soaked or saturated with blood or saliva—such as gauze saturated with blood from surgery that would release blood when squeezed or compressed or gauze caked with dried blood that may be released during handling. Other examples include contaminated sharp items, such as needles and scalpel blades.
- Kohn WG, Collins AS, Cleveland JL, et al. Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings—2003. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003; 52(RR-17);1–61.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Labeling recommendations for single-use devices reprocessed by third parties and hospitals; final guidance for industry and FDA. US Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2001. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/labeling-recommendations-single-use-devices-reprocessed-third-parties-and-hospitals
- Miller CH, Palenik CJ. Aseptic Techniques. Miller CH, Palenik DJ, eds. Infection Control and Management of Hazardous Materials for the Dental Team. 4th ed. Mosby;2009:201–206.
- Harte JA, Molinari JA. Role for Single-Use Disposable Items. Molinari JA, Harte JA, eds. Cottone's Practical Infection Control in Dentistry. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:232–236.
- Rutala WA, Weber DJ, and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities, 2008:1–158. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-and-sterilization/index.html.
- Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L, and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. 2007 Guideline for isolation precautions: preventing transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings. 2007:1–219. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/index.html
- US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR Part 1910.1030. Bloodborne pathogens. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030.