CIT Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required when performing ultrasonic cleaning of implant instruments?
- Gloves only
- Gloves and mask
- Gloves, mask, eye protection, and utility gloves (Correct answer)
- A face shield alone is sufficient
Correct answer: Gloves, mask, eye protection, and utility gloves
Ultrasonic cleaning generates aerosols and splatter, requiring gloves, mask, eye protection, and heavy-duty utility gloves.
Question 2: How should titanium implant fixtures be handled to maintain sterility prior to placement?
- Removed from packaging and soaked in saline
- Kept in original sterile packaging until moment of use (Correct answer)
- Wiped with alcohol before use
- Autoclaved a second time after removal from packaging
Correct answer: Kept in original sterile packaging until moment of use
Titanium implants must remain in their original sealed sterile packaging and should only be opened immediately prior to placement.
Question 3: What is the correct sequence for donning (putting on) surgical PPE?
- Gloves → gown → mask → eye protection
- Mask → eye protection → gown → gloves (Correct answer)
- Gown → gloves → mask → eye protection
- Eye protection → mask → gloves → gown
Correct answer: Mask → eye protection → gown → gloves
The CDC-recommended sequence is mask/respirator first, then eye protection, gown, then gloves last to ensure the hands remain clean.
Question 4: Which solution is recommended for pre-surgical patient oral rinse to reduce intraoral microbial load before implant surgery?
- 0.9% normal saline
- 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (Correct answer)
- 1% hydrogen peroxide
- Povidone-iodine 10% diluted to 0.5%
Correct answer: 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate
0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate rinse is the evidence-based standard for pre-surgical oral antisepsis before implant procedures.
Question 5: An implant surgical kit has failed the biological indicator test after autoclaving. What is the correct action?
- Re-sterilize once and use without repeat testing
- Quarantine all items from that load and recall any already used (Correct answer)
- Document the failure and continue using the kit
- Switch to chemical sterilization for that kit only
Correct answer: Quarantine all items from that load and recall any already used
A positive biological indicator requires quarantine of the entire load and recall of any instruments already used on patients.
Question 6: Which hepatitis virus poses the greatest occupational infection risk from a needlestick injury in the dental implant setting?
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
Correct answer: Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has the highest transmission efficiency after needlestick exposure, up to 30% without vaccination.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of using a rubber dam or surgical drape during implant surgery?
- To improve patient comfort
- To isolate the surgical field and reduce contamination (Correct answer)
- To speed up the procedure
- To prevent instrument corrosion
Correct answer: To isolate the surgical field and reduce contamination
Surgical drapes isolate the sterile operative field from the non-sterile environment and reduce contamination risk.
CIT Safety & Infection Control 3
Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required when performing ultrasonic cleaning of implant instruments?