Infection Control
Cleanliness and Safety
Because protecting you from infection is a priority to us, we want you to know the many ways we ensure your safety. We follow all standards recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Dental Association, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition we have added other measures to ensure your well-being.
Clean Water
Our dental water system is designed with special filters and certain disposable parts so that we are sure the water supply for each patient is free from disease causing agents.
Sterilization of Dental Instruments
No one would argue the importance of instrument sterilization in the dental practice. Sterilization of instruments is a critical step in infection prevention.
Every patient receives a new compliment of sterilized instruments and disposable items for each procedure. After being used, all instruments are cleaned thoroughly and then sterilized. The method of cleaning involves use of ultrasonic technology.
After the cleaning and rinsing stage, dental instruments are sterilized at very high temperatures. We use a special machine called an autoclave which sterilizes by using steam under pressure. After sterilization, the instruments are stored in sealed packages until they are used.
Our dental office follows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation to monitor sterilizers with a biological monitor (spore test). This test is the most appropriate evaluation of sterilizer effectiveness.
We also utilize additional quality assurance measures like chemical indicators that measure whether or not the instruments were exposed to the necessary conditions for proper sterilization.
If you have any questions about our sterilization procedures or if you would like to see our sterilization center, please ask let us know.
Cleaning and Disinfecting the Examining Room
We clean and decontaminate all surfaces in the dental examining room before you enter. This includes the dental chair, dental light, drawer handles, electronic buttons, x-ray apron, and other surfaces. Some surfaces are wrapped in plastic which is then discarded after each patient. For disinfecting these areas, we use an OSHA approved cleaner specifically designed for this purpose.
Barrier Techniques
All members of our dental team wear protective articles designed to prevent airborne infections from being transmitted. During all dental examinations and procedures, our dental staff wear gloves. After contact with each patient, gloves are removed and discarded. We wash our hands and then put on a new pair of gloves before treating another patient. Our staff wears surgical masks and protective eye wear during procedures.
