You're right - I'll just take your word for it and assume the hospital warned all those patients just for grins.
“According to a statement from the VA, the dental equipment was sterilized – but it was “not sterilized to the exact specifications of the manufacturers guidelines.”
Perhaps dishwashing detergent residue, even a small amount, could inactivate some portion of the cleaning machine’s cycle.
Frankly, if it was “sterilized” as the VA attests it was, then it was cleaned to the point of being “sterilized.”
It’s pretty obvious it was sterilized, but with an extra step of cleaning.