Cross-contamination control in prosthodontic practice.

Abstract

Prosthodontic patients are generally a high-risk group relative to their potential to transmit infectious diseases as well as acquire them. There has been a recent increase in awareness of the need for cross-infection control measures to protect against possible routes of transmission frequently ignored in the past. This article is essentially a literature review of cross-infection control measures especially relevant to removable prosthodontic practice. Cross-contamination control measures are considered within the following categories: patient evaluation, personal protection, instrument and equipment contamination, clinical technique, impression handling, and laboratory asepsis.