How is the Spread of Germs Being Prevented?
Preventing the spread of germs that can cause illness is a priority at many different places right now. Our dental office is no different. Luckily, we have always put our patients first when it came to ensuring our office is clean, sanitary, and safe.
Some prevention practices you can expect at our office include:
- Washing our hands. We use antibacterial disinfecting soap, meaning that you can expect us to keep ourselves safe so that you can be safe, too. We take care to not only wash our hands between seeing each patient, but also at regular intervals throughout our shifts.
- Wearing protective gear. The protective gear we wear to limit the spread of germs between our patients and our team members are up to industry standards. You might have heard the term personal protective equipment — or PPE — on the news. That’s just a term to describe the face masks, shields and gloves we will be wearing during your appointment. We change out this gear between each patient, keeping you safe with our sanitary practices.
- Sterilizing with our dental autoclave. We use a dental autoclave to completely sterilize all of the equipment that we use from patient to patient. The autoclave is a sterilizing machine that uses highly pressured steam to kill all germs. We monitor this process using specialized indicators to ensure that sterilization is effective.
- Utilizing disposable supplies. Whenever we are able to, we utilize disposable supplies that are only used once. That way, we can ensure that all supplies we use on every patient is brand new — greatly limiting the likelihood of spreading germs.
- Disinfecting our surfaces regularly. We clean each exam room in between patients, including replacing surfaces covered with plastic to ensure that germs do not spread. We also use disinfecting cleaner on surfaces like doors and counters.
What Recommendations are Being Implemented?
Our dedication to keeping our patients safe whenever they come in to our office means that we closely adhere to the most comprehensive recommendations available. These include implementing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Dental Association in everything from how we disinfect our offices to what kind of PPE our team uses during your office visits.
We work hard to keep you safe both now and always because we consider our patients family. We offer the care and safety that we would want our own loved ones to have during this time.
Learn more about the CDC’s recommendations, visit their website.
More information on sterilization standards from the ADA can be found here.
How are Dentists Protecting Patients?
This is a worrying time filled with uncertainty. But one thing you don’t have to worry about is coming into our office for your appointment. We are prioritizing your protection, comfort, and safety now more than ever. Our extensive sterilization and sanitization policies have been put in place for you.
We want to work with you to make sure that you and your family stay safe and healthy. If you are experiencing any common symptoms that could be indicative of COVID-19, let us know prior to coming in for your appointment. Those symptoms could include:
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Dry coughing
We will work with you on a plan of action for getting you the dental care that you need.
Ready to schedule your next appointment? Reach out today — we’re ready to answer your questions and give you the care you need.