In our office nothing has higher priority than infection control. For your safety and the safety of ourselves and our families, we follow the most rigorous protocols of sterilization and infection control above and beyond what is minimally required of us.
Most items used in the mouth are disposable. Those instruments that are reusable are properly cleaned, prepared and then run through a state of the art autoclave which is monitored by an independent laboratory to verify its effectiveness. Hand pieces are sterilized between each and every patient. Gloves are changed every time we get up from the dental chair. Our dental unit water lines have state of the art filters and flushing systems to ensure that only pure, clean water enters your mouth.
To reduce the chance of cross-contamination of infectious diseases from patient to patient, we follow “Universal Precautions” and take the following measures:
- Masks and protective eyewear: All of our staff wear face masks and safety glasses during active patient care. These prevent the spread of bacteria. Patients are given protective eyewear during high-speed drill use to protect their eyes from splatter/debris. A latex rubber dam is used wherever possible to prevent ingestion of waste material.
- Latex rubber gloves: New gloves are worn for every patient, and disposed of immediately after their one and only use. Hands are washed with a germicidal soap prior to and immediately after the use of gloves.
- Disinfection of counters and other office surfaces: Counter tops, working surfaces, and dental chairs are wiped with disinfectants to remove aerosols and splatter.
- Equipment sterilization: Most items used in the mouth are disposable. All dental handpieces and stainless steel instruments are first manually scrubbed and then placed in an ultrasonic cleaner. They are then heat sterilized to kill all bacteria and viruses. Our heat sterilizer is biologically tested and monitored on a daily basis to ensure instruments are being properly sterilized. Suction tips, needles, impression trays are all used once and disposed of.
- Dental unit waterlines: When it is possible, an alternative water supply (filtered by reverse osmosis--which is the equivalent of bottled water) is used to rinse patient’s mouths and is flushed through our handpieces and waterlines.
- Continuing education: We are very conscious of the fact that health-threatening bacteria, viruses and other conditions are constantly changing and evolving into new, sometimes more virulent strains. We are absolutely committed to continuing education by which we remain current, informed, and capable of state-of-the-art patient protection.
Our goal is to exceed what is expected of us. Should you or anyone you know have any questions regarding this subject, please feel free to call. We welcome anyone for an on site tour of our office and our infection procedures.
