Patient Information

Infection Control

STERILIZATION CENTER

Infection controls and universal precautions protect patients as well as our dental team.

Our office follows procedures recommended by several federal agencies: the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These measures include:

high frequency ultrasonic cleaner
  • Barrier Techniques:
    We wear disposable masks or barriers and gloves, with each patient. For items that cannot be sterilized in our autoclave, we use single-use disposable items for each patient. Our dental chairs are covered with a plastic barrier prior to each use.
  • Disinfectant Wipe Down:
    We clean all clinical surfaces prior to each patient's arrival by chemical disinfection.
  • Instrument Sterilization:
    We use the most effective system available to assure the sterility of our instruments. All instruments are sanitized by the use of a high frequency ultrasonic cleaner. After sanitizing the instruments, a hospital- type autoclave combines high heat and pressurized steam to insure that instruments are virus and bacteria-free. The instruments are sealed in sterile bags until they are opened for use. Our sterilizers are tested by an outside service to insure that they are working properly.