Common dental tools include instruments used for examination, cleaning, and procedures. According to the American Dental Association’s infection-control guidance (aligned with CDC recommendations), everyday patient-care items range from mouth mirrors and other reusable instruments that contact the oral cavity to critical instruments that penetrate tissue or contact bone.
ADA guidance names periodontal probes and scalers, forceps, rotary cutting instruments, and scalpels among critical tools that must be heat sterilized after thorough cleaning. Semicritical items that enter the mouth—including dental handpieces and attachments—should also be heat sterilized between patients when possible. Together, these categories cover the mirrors, explorers/probes, scalers, handpieces, and extraction forceps patients typically see during a dental visit.
Source: American Dental Association — Infection Control and Sterilization