The following are the CDC and the DBC’s Minimum Standards for Infection Control categories for patient care items based on the risk of infection during their use:

1. 1. Critical Instruments:
      1. These instruments are used in the patient’s mouth and come in contact with mucous membranes, blood, saliva, OPIM, and they penetrate soft tissue or bone.
      2. This class of instruments poses the highest risk for infection if they are contaminated with any microorganism.
      3. Examples include excavators, explorers, surgical instruments, scalers, endodontic instruments, bands, brackets, wires and burs, and other items used to penetrate soft tissue or bone.
      4. Most critical instruments are heat-tolerant and can be heat sterilized after each patient.
      5. Heat sensitive critical instruments must be cleaned and submerged in a high-level disinfecting solution.
   2. Semi-critical Instruments:
      1. While these instruments do not penetrate soft tissue or bone, they are used in the patient’s mouth and therefore pose a risk of infection because they come in contact with blood, saliva, and mucous membranes.
      2. Examples include dental mouth mirrors, amalgam carriers, x-ray film holders, dental hand pieces, and rubber dam forceps.
      3. Most semi-critical instruments are heat-tolerant and may therefore be cleaned and sterilized between each patient.
      4. Heat sensitive semi-critical instruments must be cleaned and submerged in a high-level disinfecting solution.
   3. Non-Critical Instruments:
      1. Non-critical items are instruments, devices, equipment, and surfaces that come in contact with soil, debris, saliva, blood, OPIM and intact skin, but not oral mucous membranes.
      2. Examples: dental chair, dental unit, x-ray heads, clinical surfaces & equipment, and curing light etc.
      3. These items must be protected by using the barrier method or cleaned and disinfected between each patient.
   4. Disposable items (single use items):
      1. Single use items usually come in large packages and are labeled disposable or single use.
      2. These should be used on just one patient and then properly disposed of in order to help reduce the chance of patient-to-patient contamination.
      3. Examples of disposable items (prophy cups & brushes, sterilization pouches, irrigating syringes, saliva ejectors, evacuation tips, surface barriers, face masks, exam & surgical gloves, syringe needles, suture needles, plastic orthodontic brackets.