How to Keep the Dental Mirror Clean

Dental mirrors accumulate debris and germs from being placed inside people's mouths. That is why it is extremely important to properly sanitize a dental mirror after each use, especially if more than one person uses it. Just washing the instrument with soap and water is not enough to kill bacteria. Many professional dentists use automated cleaning equipment like ultrasonic cleaners and washer-disinfector machines. Most lay-people don't have access to that type of equipment. But you can still thoroughly sterilize your dental mirror at home with some simple equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Scrub brush
• Dental detergent or surfactant or enzymatic cleaner

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Instructions

• 1

  Soak the dental mirror in a bowl of detergent and water. Make sure the bowl is wide enough to hold the entire dental mirror. If debris has been allowed to soak on the mirror, you can also soak the mirror in a disinfectant or an enzymatic cleaner to prevent patent materials from drying and caking up on the mirror. Dental detergent and enzymatic cleaner can be purchased from dental supply companies.

• 2

  Scrub the dental mirror with a scrub brush. Continue to soak both the brush and dental mirror in the detergent while scrubbing. You can also scrub the mirror with a dental surfactant.

• 3

  Rinse the dental mirror with water to remove any residue from the detergent.

• 4

  Store the dental mirror in a sterile place. The mirror shouldn't come into contact with any other instruments such as a toothbrush.