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Sterilization
and Infection Control Procedures
Many of our patients
ask us questions about our sterilization procedures. Considering the ever-increasing
number of contagious diseases in the news today, this is an understandable
concern. You can rest assured that your health and safety are one of our
primary concerns. The guidelines for sterilization and infection control
in dentistry are called Universal Precautions. We follow these guidelines
for every one of our patients. The following are some of the methods we employ
to assure your safety:
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1.
Autoclave (pressurized steam):
All
dental instruments are sterilized in a high-pressure steam autoclave.
We also sterilize all hand pieces (drills) and
burs (drill bits) after each use. This process is the standard of care.
Our new computerized autoclave informs us in the event of an incomplete
sterilization cycle. As an added assurance we also employ an outside
testing agency to ensure that our autoclave is producing sterile instruments.
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2. Chemical
Sterilization
Many of the items we use (plastics) are unable to tolerate the heat produced
by steam sterilization. These items are sterilized in chemical solutions,
which destroy both bacteria and viruses.
3. Surface
Decontamination
All surfaces including countertops, dental chairs, stools, light handles,
and control buttons are disinfected with chemical solutions. These solutions
are formulated to eliminate infectious bacteria and viruses that could otherwise
proliferate on these surfaces.
4. Disposable
Items
Many of the items we use today are discarded after a single use. These items
include saliva ejectors, high speed suction tips, drinking cups, rubber cleaning
cups, patient bibs, tray covers, sterilization bags, mixing pads, mixing
tips, anesthetic carpules, and needle tips. Gloves and masks are also discarded
after each use.
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5.
Clean Water Delivery System
There has been a considerable amount of media attention focused on the
quality of the water that is delivered from the dental operatory. Television
shows such as 20/20 have made claims that bacteria present in the local
water supplies can multiply inside the water lines of dental chairs and
can pose health risks to the general population. All of our dental chairs
are equipped with an independent clean water delivery system. This allows
us to bypass the Greater Providence water supply and use only the purest
water in our dental units. How do we know it’s pure? We know because
we make our own water right here on the premises
using either our reverse osmosis system or our ion exchange water deionizer.
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