Abstract: OBJECTIVE To understand the status of contamination by microbes and antimicrobial resistance genes on surfaces in dental clinics. METHODS In Nov. 2024, cotton swab samples were collected from environmental surfaces in the clinics before disinfection. High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the composition of microbial communities and antimicrobial resistance genes on these surfaces.RESULTS The contamination on the surfaces in the dental clinic exhibited spatial heterogeneity (P=0.002), with the highest bacterial count on the surface of the sputum cup 13.50 (5.90, 54.60) CFU/cm². At the phylum level, the dominant bacterial groups on object surfaces were Pseudomonadota (with a relative abundance of 77.43% on the office desk surface) and Bacteroidota (with a relative abundance of 37.78% on the sputum cup surface). At the species level, pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (with a relative abundance of 2.86% on the auxiliary operation panel surface) and Sphingomonas yanoikuyae (with a relative abundance of 9.23% on the comprehensive operation panel surface) were detected. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes (such as adeF, mgrA, norA, qacG) were identified. Some of these genes confer resistance to multiple drugs (including fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines) and tolerance to disinfectants, and they were predominantly enriched on surfaces such as light covers, auxiliary control panels and dental chair armrests. CONCLUSIONS There is a risk of contaminations by microbes and antimicrobial resistance genes on the surfaces of objects in dental clinics. For high-frequency contaminated areas such as sputum cups, lampshades, auxiliary operation panels and dental chair armrests, it is necessary to consider increasing the frequency of surface wiping and conducting dynamic monitoring of resistance genes to further reduce the risk of cross-infection transmission between medical staff and patients.