Brown stains on dental equipment

[anxiousone8]

Yesterday, I went to have my teeth checked out at a dentist that I work next to and have gone to previously. I noticed on the tray a Forcep that was covered in brown stains. The mirror and the probe seemed fine which was what he used in my mouth. Is this okay? What can cause the brown stains on some of the equipment? Is this an autoclave error and now the equipment aren't sterilized? They are very nice and did fine work in the past but I feel wary and worried now.

I know the chances of Hep B are highest but I'm vaccinated, Hep C is second highest and HIV very slim but do I need to worry at all about blood borne pathogens? I have severe anxiety and this is making me EVEN more anxious going to the dentist.

*I first thought it was rust, but after reading several articles online it seems more brown stains than rust but who knows.

 

[Enarete]

I can’t help but was wondering why would there be forceps in the first place if what‘s done is a checkup? Not related to your question, but made me confused

 

[Gordon]

Might be tweezers not extraction forceps, most dentists use MPT sets for exams (Mirror/Probe/Tweezers).
Can't help but think it's some kind of metal tarnishing, I can't imagine how blood could be left on the instruments and not noticed.

 

[anxiousone8]

@Gordon Thanks for the reply you don't know how much I appreciate it!

So you don't think I need to worry? My anxiety is running rampant and I know I need to get a Dental cleaning but now I'm scared to step foot into a dental office. Usually, I would ask questions but I always feel that Dentists have zero patience and I always feel bad for asking. I just don't know if I should find a different dentist. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Also, yes I do think they are tweezers not forceps. I'm sorry for the confusion.

 

[letsconnect]

Hi @anxiousone8, if you feel that your dentist has no patience, then it may be time to find someone who does. We have collected some tips for finding a dentist here:

How to find a dentist for nervous patients

Discover how to find a dentist who is good with nervous, scared or phobic patients - and who to avoid!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

How to find a high-quality dentist

How do you know if a dentist really cares about the quality of their work? Here is what to look for and expect from a high-quality dentist.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

We've also had a couple of threads on here on the topic of discoloured instruments, for example this one (there may be others, you can use the search function on this forum):

Rust on Dental Instrument Handles?

My wife went to the dentist today for an emergency visit and when she saw the dentist remove the tools from the package she saw a good deal of discoloration (rust?) on the handles. She said the tips and mirrors looked clean above the handles. She felt awkward questioning the dentist since she...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[Gordon]

So you don't think I need to worry? My anxiety is running rampant and I know I need to get a Dental cleaning but now I'm scared to step foot into a dental office. Usually, I would ask questions but I always feel that Dentists have zero patience and I always feel bad for asking. I just don't know if I should find a different dentist.

No, I don't think you need to worry. Most of the dental governing bodies are absolutely fanatical about maintaining cross infection standards, they come down with the wrath of God on anyone who is caught breaching them and so it's literally a fast pass to losing your dental license and the unemployment office, in the UK they would also sanction the assistants as well as the dentists.

It's unlikely then, that any dentist/assistants would risk their livelihoods by using noticeably dirty instruments.

If the dentist has such zero patience that a perfectly valid question upsets them then they need to find another job and you need to find another dentist!

Let's Connect has helpfully posted some ways to find a more sympathetic practice but I think, in fairness, you should try asking your current dentist about your worries first, you might well find they're not as scary as you think they are