Because of the risk of infection, sterilization is a primary concern in a dental office. The most obvious way to protect against the spread of disease or infection is to sterilize the equipment and personnel that come in contact with the patient. This is done through rigorous internal standards for every person in the office to disinfect their hands between each patient and follow strict guidelines of personal hygiene. Of course, disposable gloves are worn by all personnel when examining a patient and changed between each patient. Often, if personnel leave the room to check a x-ray, and so forth, the gloves are replaced during a single session.
Masks are always warn to protect against airborne contaminants.
There are also material objects that come into contact with a patient. Many are disposable and discarded immediately. If an item is not disposable, such as a piece of dental equipment, a barrier is created. Barriers are physical coverings that prevent the patient from coming in to contact with any portion of the equipment. You will notice thick plastic coverings over most of the equipment in the examination rooms.