We understand your concern and would like to share with you some of the things we're doing to protect both you and us. Infection control is the term used to describe the prevention of any disease transmission from the patient to the staff, the staff to the patient, and from one patient in the practice to another patient. Any infection control procedure not only protects us, the health-care provider, but also protects you, the patient. The autoclaves are tested weekly to insure that they are operating properly. All items that cannot tolerate high heat, such as plastics, are disinfected in a chemical solution formulated to kill infectious bacteria and viruses.
Many items are single-use and are disposed of after each patient.
The rubber cups which hold the paste used to polish your teeth are disposed of after each visit. The attachment which holds it on the handpiece, called a prophy angle, is also discarded after each use. Gloves are never used on more than one patient. We wear glasses to protect our eyes from contamination as well as injury. A rubber dam, which is a thin sheet of latex, is used whenever necessary to reduce the amount of bacterial spray-back which occurs when dental procedures are performed .