What is the appropriate next step immediately after removing an alginate impression from the mouth?

Correct answer: D. Rinse it under running water to remove saliva and blood, then disinfect

• A. Sending an un-disinfected impression to the laboratory exposes laboratory personnel to infectious material and violates standard precautions.
• B. Prolonged immersion of ALGINATE causes imbibition (water uptake) and severe dimensional distortion. Alginate should be spray-disinfected and bagged, not soaked for 30 minutes.
• C. Soap is not a disinfectant, and air drying causes syneresis and shrinkage of alginate.
• D. CORRECT. The first step is to RINSE under running water to remove saliva, blood, and debris — this removes the bioburden that would otherwise inactivate the disinfectant. The impression is then disinfected by SPRAY-and-bag (or brief immersion per manufacturer instructions, typically 10 minutes) with an EPA-registered intermediate-level disinfectant, and poured within the recommended time to avoid dimensional change.

Note: Alginate is dimensionally unstable in BOTH directions — imbibition if wet, syneresis if dry. Wrap in a damp paper towel and pour within 10–15 minutes.