With all of the recent news of the Coronavirus, you may be wondering what sort of sanitation control procedures are used in a dental office. We thought we’d take the proactive approach and share with you how we are working to keep your health and safety at the top of our list at Flatrock Family Dentistry.
First, we have enforced screening patients before their visit. We are asking all patients to disclose if they have recently been out of the country and if they are experiencing any flu-like symptoms. We always look forward to each patient’s visit, however, we are asking anyone who fits into either of these categories to please stay home. We will happily reschedule the appointment.
Hygiene is at the core of every sound dental practice. When you arrive at our office, you notice it is clean from top to bottom, and that familiar dentist office “clean” scent permeates the air. That fresh clean scent is a testament to our adherence to the strict guidelines set out by the American Dental Association (ADA), and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), that instruct our every move when it comes to protecting each patient. We have been treating patients according to these guidelines for decades and are well prepared for maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Standard universal precautions make the dental office one of the safest businesses you can visit.
It means that all surfaces in the appointment room, including the dental chair, dental light, and all drawers and countertops have been cleaned and decontaminated. We may also at times cover these areas with protective covers and replace them with each new patient.
It means that “critical,” non-disposable items such as forceps, scalers and surgical burs are all sterilized after each use using either pressurized steam (auto-claving), dry heat, or heat/chemical vapor. It also means that “semi-critical” dental tools that come in contact with mucous membranes, but that do not penetrate soft tissues (like mirrors and re-useable impression trays), are either sterilized in the above manner, or disinfected using high-level “sterilant/disinfectant.” Needles, gloves and masks are all considered single-use, and as such are disposed of as would be expected.
The entire staff at Flatrock Family Dentistry takes pride in our services and care. If you ever have any questions that we can address for you regarding this or any other concern, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for understanding and helping us do our part to provide happy and healthy smiles. We appreciate you!
Coronavirus & Flatrock Family Dentistry
