Final answer:
Intraoral items should be cleaned and disinfected with a high-level disinfectant before placement in the patient's mouth. High-level disinfectants are effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Step-by-step explanation:
All intraoral items such as impressions, bite registration, prosthetic and orthodontic appliances should be cleaned and disinfected with a high-level disinfectant before manipulation in the laboratory and placement in the patient's mouth. High-level disinfectants are capable of killing a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
It is important to use a high-level disinfectant for intraoral items because they come into contact with mucous membranes, which are considered semicritical items. Semicritical items do not penetrate sterile tissues, but they do come into contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin. Therefore, they require a higher level of disinfection to ensure patient safety.
Low-level disinfectants are not sufficient for this purpose as they only kill some bacteria and viruses but may not be effective against fungi and some resistant microorganisms. Intermediate-level disinfectants are also not recommended because they are not as effective as high-level disinfectants in killing certain types of microorganisms such as bacterial spores.