What is the difference between sterilizing and disinfecting in the dental office?

Sterilizing is when they run the instruments thrugh the autoclave which it kills everything at a really high temperature. The chairs and other noncritical equipment can be spray with cavacide which is a desinfectant spary that kills viruses.

What is the difference between sterilizing and disinfecting in the dental office?
sterilizing is when you put them in a tub like thing and steam clean them and don't touch after=


disinfecting is when you put the stuff in a solution ,then rinse under water and put away
Reply:sterilizing is for critical items (instruments, other items that come into direct contact with blood/saliva) usually done in a statum (heat sterilizer) or chemiclave (chemical) Disinfecting is used for non critical items (counter/chair/bottles items that so not come into direct contact with saliva/blood) usually a spray with disinfecting agents.