Aura Infection Control is inviting dental professionals across the UK to take part in a new survey exploring how dental handpieces are cleaned, maintained and decontaminated in practice.
The survey revisits an important area of infection prevention and control first examined by Aura in 2022. That research, conducted in association with Dentistry and the Society of British Dental Nurses, became the largest survey of its kind in the UK and revealed striking differences in knowledge, training and procedures between practices.
Four years later, Aura wants to establish what has changed, where confidence has improved and whether gaps remain. The findings will provide an up-to-date picture of the profession’s understanding of handpiece decontamination and help identify where further guidance, training and practical support may be needed.
Handpieces are among the most frequently used and valuable instruments in dentistry. They are also complex devices, with narrow internal channels and precision-engineered components that make effective cleaning and decontamination particularly demanding.
Although visible contamination on the outside of a handpiece can be readily identified, contamination within its internal pathways is far less obvious. During use, handpieces can be exposed to saliva, blood and tissue. The possibility of material being drawn into internal channels means that cleaning only what can be seen is not enough. A handpiece may appear spotless and function perfectly while contamination remains inside.
What did the 2022 dental handpiece survey show?
The 2022 survey showed why this issue deserved greater attention. Half of the practices surveyed reported that they had never received handpiece maintenance training, despite training being available. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they wanted more information about handpiece cleaning, maintenance and protocols.
Laura Edgar, managing director of Aura Infection Control, said: ‘The 2022 survey gave the dental profession a valuable benchmark. It showed enormous commitment to patient safety, but also considerable variation in how handpieces were being managed and a clear appetite for more knowledge.
‘Since then, practices have continued to face pressure on time, staffing, compliance and costs, while handpiece technology and the products available to support decontamination have continued to develop. This new survey will help us understand whether knowledge and practice have moved forward, and where the profession still needs support.
‘A handpiece can look clean on the outside, but its internal construction makes it one of the more challenging instruments to process correctly. We want as many members of the dental team as possible to share their experience. Honest responses will help build a reliable national picture and ensure that future education is focused on the areas that matter most.’
What’s new this time?
The new questionnaire covers current approaches to handpiece cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation and maintenance, together with responsibility for the process and access to training. It is intended for dental nurses, dentists, practice managers, decontamination leads and other members of the team involved in handpiece processing or infection prevention and control.
Responses are anonymous, and results will be aggregated, so no individual or practice will be identified. The survey is designed to be quick to complete, while giving participants the opportunity to share their knowledge and day-to-day experience.
Aura will analyse the results and use them to highlight progress since 2022, identify continuing areas of uncertainty and inform future educational resources for the dental profession. The findings will also help encourage discussion within practices about whether local procedures, staff responsibilities and training arrangements are sufficiently clear and consistent.
Laura added: ‘This year we would also like to thank NSK for their partnership and support with this survey. Studies like this are about listening to the profession. The more responses we receive, the more useful the findings will be for everyone working to protect patients and colleagues.’
Dental professionals can complete Aura Infection Control’s handpiece survey here.
This article is sponsored by Aura Infection control.
