What should a dental assistant do with a single-use prophy angle after use?

After using a single-use prophy angle, the appropriate action is to dispose of it properly. Single-use prophy angles are designed for one-time use to ensure safety and prevent cross-contamination between patients. They are made from materials that cannot be effectively sterilized or cleaned for reuse. Disposing of them after use minimizes the risk of infection and adheres to safety guidelines established in dental practices.

Cleaning and attempting to reuse a single-use item not only goes against best practices in infection control but also poses a significant risk to patient safety due to the potential for contamination. Storing them for future use or autoclaving would also be ineffective since the integrity and functionality of the prophy angle cannot be assured after initial use. Therefore, disposal is the only correct course of action to maintain a sterile environment in the dental office.