Infection Control Procedures
Infection control procedures are a necessity in today's medical and dental offices
. The four common means of infection transmission in dental offices include: 1) direct contact of skin with blood, oral fluids and other potentially infectious material; 2) indirect contact with contaminated instruments or environmental surfaces, e.g., instruments, operatory equipment, or environmental surfaces; 3) contact with mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth with pathogen-contaminated droplets or spatter generated and propelled a short distance through coughing, sneezing, or talking from an infected person; and 4) inhalation of airborne microorganisms that are suspended in air.
Hands are the most common method of pathogen (germ) transmission. Hand-washing, or the use of hand sanitizers, is the single most effective way to substantially reduce the risk of infection, therefore hand-washing is the cornerstone of our infection control procedures. We are committed to scrubbing our hands both before and after each appointment with sanitizing soap.
We always put on new disposable gloves after washing our hands, sterilize all of our equipment after each use, and use disposable supplies whenever possible and fiscally feasible to protect you while you are in our office. Wearing disposable gloves reduces the likelihood that microorganisms present on the hands of dental health care provider will be transmitted to patients during surgical or other patient-care procedures. We also wear masks and protective eyewear to protect our patients against micro-organisms that can be generated by dental health care providers.
Because infection can also be spread indirectly through instruments, environmental surfaces and water lines we also regularly perform the following infection control procedures:
v.All of our dental instruments are regularly sterilized, -and even though no documented cases of disease transmission have been associated with dental hand pieces we make sure that every hand piece is sterilized immediately after use.
v.In order to avoid potential infections, we use disposable supplies as much as possible. These include paper bibs, paper cups, cotton rolls, and gauze pads.
v.We clean our water lines regularly, closely following the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
v.Protective barriers are used on all exposed surfaces, like the handles on light fixtures, and other equipment in order to minimize the risk of infection. All other surfaces, including light handles, switches, dental radiograph equipment, dental chair-side computers, reusable containers of dental materials, drawer handles, faucet handles, countertops, pens, telephones, and door-knobs are also disinfected accorded to government standards for your safety.
v.All bio-dental waste and sharp instruments are disposed in appropriately labeled, safe containers. The containers are provided by a bio-medical disposal company, to ensure proper disposal.
Taking Infection Control Seriously
We take pride in adhering to the highest possible infection control standards, meeting or exceeding government standards to insure your safety in our office. We follow these stringent standards because your health and welfare are important to us.
All of our staff members have been vaccinated for Hepatitis B to prevent the spread of this disease, and we regularly review and update our office infection control procedures for all staff members.
by: Beth Guide
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