Australian Dental Council (ADC) Practice Test 2026 - Free ADC Practice Questions and Study Guide

Instruments used on a patient diagnosed with hepatitis B must undergo a stringent cleaning and sterilization process. This is essential because hepatitis B is a highly infectious virus that can survive on surfaces and instruments, posing a risk of transmission to other patients and healthcare workers if not properly managed.

The appropriate procedure involves scrubbing the instruments to remove organic debris and biological material, followed by sterilization, which eliminates any remaining pathogens. The sterilization process typically involves methods such as autoclaving, which uses high-pressure steam to kill all forms of microbial life. This two-step approach (cleaning and then sterilizing) is crucial for ensuring patient safety and maintaining infection control protocols in dental practice.

Other methods mentioned, such as soaking in hypochlorite solution, are not comprehensive enough for the complete decontamination of dental instruments, as they may not address all forms of microorganisms effectively. Using household rubber gloves does not provide sufficient protection against the high-risk nature of handling contaminated instruments. Scrubbing with iodine surgical solution, while it may reduce some microbial load, does not replace the necessity for thorough sterilization, which is critical in this context.