PATIENT INFORMATION

Infection Control

Infection controls and universal precautions protect clients and staff alike. Everyone benefits from rigorous infection control — you, your dentist, and the dental team. The cornerstone in a good and safe dental practice is the element of trust. You should feel free to discuss this topic with Dr. Davis and receive a straightforward answer.

Dr. Davis and our entire team follow 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:

Disinfectant hand soap
Gloves and face masks
Chemical disinfection of countertops and surfaces
Sterilization of all equipment before every use including hand pieces.
Disposable materials
All blankets, pillows and scented compress covers are washed after "every" use.
Self contained treated water system for microbe controlled water lines in our treatment suites.

We sterilize all reusable equipment, including dental hand pieces after every use. If a product or piece of equipment was in the room, used or not it is always sterilized after each appointment. We use an autoclave, a device that kills bacteria and viruses by steam, heat and pressure.

When Dr. Davis designed our facility, he wanted to do everything possible to create the cleanest environment for our patients. He decided to use a "self contained water system". City water does not run to our treatment suites through any of our equipment lines. Instead we have self contained bottles that we fill with city water and treat further with a product that is safe for you but controls growth of microbes. Why fill with city water instead of sterile water? Because it has been proven, even sterile water can harbor microbes that chemicals from city water treats. We decided to take the more predictable road to ensure lowering of dental bacteria in dental units. We purge our lines for two minutes after treatment and for one minutes more just before the patient seats in our treatment suites. We routinely "completely purge" and flush the lines with a cleaner to control the growth of microbes. We purge the lines nightly and they are left to dry out until we return the following day. It would be a rarity to contract a disease from a dental line and to date, there are no documented cases.

Even our spa amenities such as our treatment suite blankets, pillow and scented compress covers, and face drapes are washed in detergent and bleach after "every" use. We house our own "washer and dryer" on premise to ensure you are protected at all times. Not even heavily commercial industries like the airlines wash blankets between uses. Just another way we are looking out for you!

The best defense against disease is information. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make wise decisions about your health care. The more you know about our daily procedures and policies, the more comfortable you will feel.