Glutaraldehyde Use in the Dental Office

Glutaraldehyde is a toxic chemical that is used as a cold sterilant to disinfect and clean heat-sensitive medical, surgical and dental equipment. Health effects of glutaraldeyde exposure include:

• Short term (acute) effects: skin and eye, nose, throat and respiratory track irritation.
• Long-term (chronic) effects: Glutaraldehyde is a sensitizer. Workers may get sudden asthma attacks with difficult breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. Prolonged exposure can cause a skin allergy and chronic eczema, and afterwards, exposure to small amounts produces severe itching and skin rashes. It has been implicated as a possible cause of occupational asthma.

Although you can limit exposure to glutaraldehyde through work practice, engineering controls and personal protective equipment, the best consideration is changing to safer product substitutes. Please contact Dynamic Dental Safety (tel. 888-669-8846 x701) for manufacturer contact information.

References: 1) Best Practices for the Safe Use of Glutaraldehyde in Health Care. OSHA Publication 3258, (2006), 48 pages. 2) OSHA Hospital eTool: Healthcare Wide Hazards Module: Glutaraldehyde