Sterilization
and Infection Control in Dentistry
We realize that
patients today have many concerns about the safety of receiving
their medical and dental care. We understand your concern and
would like to share with you some of the things we're doing to
protect both you and our staff.
 Infection
control is the term used to describe the prevention of any disease
transmission from the patient to the staff, the staff to the
patient, and from one patient in the practice to another patient.
Any infection control procedure not only protects us, the
health-care provider, but also protects you, the patient.
The precautions we take
are as follow:
1. Autoclave
- steam sterilization
All
instruments capable of withstanding high heat are autoclaved
(steam-sterilized) which kills infectious bacteria and viruses.
The autoclaves are tested weekly to insure that they are operating
properly.
2. All hand
pieces ("drills") and burs ("drill bits")
are autoclaved after each use.
3. One-time
use items.
Many items
are single-use and are disposed of after each patient. This
includes all syringes (needles) and saliva ejectors (the plastic
tips on the suction tube which are placed in the mouth to remove
saliva).
4. The
rubber cups which hold the paste used to polish your teeth are
disposed of after each visit. The attachment which holds it on the
hand piece, called a prophy angle, is disposable and discarded
after each use.
5.
Disposable gloves and masks
Gloves and
masks are worn to prevent transmission of disease between you and
us (both ways), as well as providing protection from transmitting
any diseases between you and another patient in the office. Gloves
are never used on more than one patient.
6. Surface
decontamination and barriers
All surfaces
(counter tops, dental chair, light handles, etc.) are disinfected
with a chemical solution again formulated to kill infectious
bacteria, spores, and viruses. Barriers (paper covers etc.) are
used whenever possible.
7. We wear
glasses to protect our eyes from contamination as well as injury.
8. Rubber
dam
A rubber
dam, which is a thin sheet of latex, is used whenever necessary to
reduce the amount of bacterial spray-back which occurs when dental
procedures are performed.
We
continually monitor our procedures for compliance with OSHA,
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and American Dental Association
recommendations.
If you have
a specific question about any infection control procedure, or
would like to schedule an appointment, just call the office.
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