Importance

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Abstract

A method for cleansing a dental instrument during the performance of a probing procedure on a patient as part of a dental examination comprising: (a) obtaining an antimicrobial cleansing device comprising an absorbing medium having an antimicrobial agent supported therein; (b) supporting the antimicrobial cleansing device on the body of a practitioner; (c) initiating a probing procedure as part of a dental examination; (d) probing a periodontal region of a patient using a suitable dental instrument having a tip, wherein the tip contacts at least a portion of the periodontal region; (e) exposing the tip to the antimicrobial agent contained in the absorbing medium before moving to a subsequent periodontal region for the purpose of cleansing the tip and reducing the chance of introducing pathogens into the subsequent periodontal region; and (f) probing a subsequent periodontal region of the patient using the tip of the dental instrument, as cleansed, wherein the tip contacts at least a portion of the subsequent periodontal region. To prevent cross-contamination of pathogens, the steps of probing are alternated with the step of exposing the dental tool to the absorbing medium and the antimicrobial contained therein. Also disclosed are various antimicrobial cleansing devices for conveniently supporting the absorbing medium and the antimicrobial agent about the body of the practitioner.

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First Claim