As healthcare providers, dentists have an obligation to protect the well-being of patients while under their care. And they don’t stop with minimum requirements for patient safety — dental professionals are committed to a higher standard when it comes to infection control.
In today’s COVID-19 pandemic, dental offices are going even further with sanitation and cleanliness practices to keep patients and staff safe. Here are a few ways that dental offices keep you safe:
Barrier protection through face masks and gloves
Dental professionals use sterile gloves, face protection and protective eyewear when treating patients. This helps keep you from coming in contact with viruses and bacteria. In the current COVID-19 environment, you may notice that administrative staff members are wearing facial protection as well.
If you see more personal protective equipment than in the past, this just means that dental offices are going above and beyond their routine protocols to keep everyone safe during this novel coronavirus pandemic. Since several dental offices currently require patients to wear masks, arrive prepared to your next dental appointment by wearing a mask.
Instrument sterilization
Instruments are sterilized before every use to prevent the spread of germs. The sterilization process removes all microorganisms so you can be assured that COVID-19 or other microorganisms are not being spread by tools used in your treatment.
Disinfection cleaners
Dental offices are disinfected throughout the day and after every patient visit. Items that are touched (such as doorknobs, chair arms, pens, etc.) as well as tabletops and other exposed surfaces are wiped down with disinfectant approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to kill harmful microorganisms.
Frequent hand washing and available hand sanitizer
One of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens is to wash hands with soap and water regularly and thoroughly. Dental professionals not only wash their hands before and after seeing every patient, but they then use gloves as another barrier for your protection.
Protection from infection is a top priority for the dental office. Rest assured that dental professionals are doing everything they can to ensure the office is a safe and healthy environment for everyone.
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