Sharps containers are specially designed containers into which used needles and other dental-waste sharps are discarded. In recent years, models have been introduced which are intended to prevent users from overfilling the container. However, most containers we presently see in dental offices simply have a visible “do not fill over line” which is usually set at ¾ of the container's volume. It is imperative that dental personnel do not overfill containers. Sharps injuries associated with disposal containers are among the most serious kind, as you are not able to identify the source patient. This means that as part of the medical evaluation, the conservative approach is to consider that you have been exposed to all of the most common bloodborne pathogens – HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
