If you work in a dental practice, you have almost certainly heard the term AS/NZS 5369:2023 in the last couple of years. But for many teams, the Standard can still feel abstract — a document referenced in policies and audits rather than something that shapes the everyday reprocessing bench.
At Within Control, we believe every member of a dental team should understand not just that AS/NZS 5369:2023 exists, but what it actually asks of a practice — and why that matters for patient safety.
What Is AS/NZS 5369:2023?
AS/NZS 5369:2023 – Reprocessing of reusable medical devices and other devices in health and non-health related facilities is the current joint Australian and New Zealand Standard governing how reusable medical devices — including dental instruments — must be cleaned, disinfected, packaged, sterilised, stored and tracked.
It sets out a systematic, risk-based framework for reprocessing, rather than a simple checklist. That distinction matters. Instead of treating reprocessing as a fixed set of steps performed the same way regardless of context, the Standard asks practices to understand the risk associated with each device, procedure and process, and to build systems that manage that risk consistently.
Why a Risk-Based Approach Changes Things
A risk-based framework means a practice’s reprocessing system should be tailored to:
- The types of instruments and reusable devices it uses
- The manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs) for each device devices are classified (critical, semi-critical, non-critical)
- How those devices are classified (critical, semi-critical, non-critical)
- The equipment available to clean, package, sterilise, monitor and store instruments
- The workflow and physical layout of the reprocessing area
- The competency of the people performing each step.
This means two practices can both be “AS/NZS 5369 compliant” while running reprocessing systems that look quite different — because compliance is about managing risk appropriately for your environment, not copying a generic template.
The Core Elements Every Practice Should Have in Place
While the full detail of the Standard is extensive, most dental practices working toward AS/NZS 5369:2023 alignment need robust systems across these areas:
- Clinical zoning — clearly defined contaminated, clean and sterile zones, with workflow that only ever moves instruments from contaminated to clean
- Cleaning and cleaning verification — validated cleaning processes with a way to confirm they’ve actually worked, not just assumed to have worked
- Packaging and labelling — sterile barrier systems that are appropriate to the device and its intended shelf life
- Traceability — the ability to trace an instrument, or a load, back to a specific patient and a specific cycle
- Release criteria — clear rules for what must be confirmed before a load is released for clinical use
- Non-conformance management — a documented process for what happens when something goes wrong
- Staff training and competency — evidence that the people doing the work understand it and can demonstrate it.
Notice that equipment appears in this list, but it is only one part of it. A validated steriliser with the correct cycle selected still depends on correct loading, correct packaging, and a team member who knows how to interpret the results.
What Changed From Previous Guidance
Practices that have been operating for some years may be more familiar with earlier guidance documents and the previous AS/NZS 4187 Standard. AS/NZS 5369:2023 represents an update to that framework, with a stronger emphasis on:
- Risk management as an ongoing, documented process rather than a one-off assessment
- The role of manufacturers’ instructions for use as a primary reference point
- Traceability systems that can withstand scrutiny during an audit or investigation
- Competency-based training, rather than training measured purely by attendance.
For most practices, this doesn’t mean starting from scratch — but it does mean reviewing existing systems against the current requirements, rather than assuming previous compliance still applies unchanged.
Where Practices Commonly Get Caught Out
In our work supporting dental practices with IPC systems, some of the most common gaps we see include:
- Policies that describe a process the team doesn’t actually follow day to day
- Missing or incomplete manufacturers’ IFUs for reusable devices
- Monitoring records that are completed but not actually reviewed or acted on
- No clear documented process for what to do when a cycle fails or a package is compromised
- Training records that show attendance, but no evidence of assessed competency
- Traceability systems that exist on paper but haven’t been tested against a real scenario (“if this instrument caused a problem, could we identify every patient it was used on?”).
None of these gaps are unusual, and none of them mean a practice is unsafe — but they are exactly the kind of thing an external audit, an incident, or a regulator inquiry will surface. Identifying and closing these gaps proactively is far better than discovering them reactively.
Standards Don’t Implement Themselves
AS/NZS 5369:2023 gives practices a framework. It does not, on its own, clean an instrument, validate a cycle, or train a team member.
That work belongs to people — supported by the right documentation, the right equipment, and a genuine understanding of why each step exists.
How Within Control Can Help
At Within Control – Your Shield Against Infection, we work with dental practices to translate AS/NZS 5369:2023 into practical, achievable systems: policy and procedure development, reprocessing workflow review, staff training and competency assessment, and preparation for accreditation and audit.
We are proud contributors to the sector’s ongoing work on this Standard, including participation in AS/NZS 5369:2023 toolkit development, and we bring that current, hands-on knowledge directly into the practices we support.
Standards set the requirements. Systems and people bring them to life.
Be Proud. Be Safe. Be Within Control.
Within Control Your Shield Against Infection