Infection Control

Dear Patient:

We thought that in this era of public concern and media coverage about the hazards of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), you should be informed that we use numerous infection-control procedures to prevent disease transmission in our practice.

We would like to take this opportunity to tell you about these precautions, which we routinely provide for the treatment of all patients. A portion of this commitment has involved our adoption of federal government regulations that were designed to protect the health and safety of the dental office team. These procedures protect you - the patient - as much as us. We are pleased about this, and know you will be, too.

Universal Precautions

You may be surprised to learn that the most frequently performed procedures in our office are not 6-month checkups or even filling cavities. The most common procedures are designed to accomplish good infection control with every patient. This is called applying "universal precautions"- infection-control measures that are the same for every patient. These include: wearing gloves, changing gloves and washing hands between patients, using instruments and other items that can be thrown out after each use; and sterilizing or disinfecting equipment that can be reused.

What We Do

Before you enter the treatment room, the dental unit and chair are cleaned and disinfected with antimicrobial chemicals approved by the US government. All dental instruments are either sterilized or disinfected, as appropriate for the type of material:

• Virtually all instruments can stand high heat. These are first cleaned and then sterilized by one of several proven methods that uses high heat.
• Those few items that cannot be heat sterilized or disposed of after treatment are first cleaned and then disinfected with special, high-level chemical disinfectants.

Both methods are approved by the Centers of Disease Control and the American Dental Association(ADA).

Sterilization of Handpieces

For years, the ADA has recommended the heat sterilization of handpieces (ie, dental drills) for equipment that can withstand repeated high heat cycles.  Modern technology has now made it possible to sterilize all reusable handpieces.
We are pleased to inform you that all of our dental instruments and handpieces are cleaned, lubricated, and heat sterilized between each patient use.

Checklist for Patients

We care about the health and well-being of all our patients and employees.  To prove this for yourself, use the following checklist the next time you visit us and note how we perform each item:

• washing hands and changing gloves
• appropriate sterilization and disinfection
• keeping the office spotlessly clean
• using disposable items
• wearing protective clothing
• providing wrapped, sterile instruments for treatment
• properly cleaning and sterilizing handpieces
• proper disposal of waste

Health-care safety is everyone's concern-yours and ours. We take the responsibility of treating you and your family very seriously. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call before your next appointment, or talk with us during your next office visit. We are very proud of our infection-control program and are happy to discuss it with you.