Sterilization Protocol
We understand the importance to you of feeling comfortable that our offices are clean, safe, and healthy. The staff here at Gradeless Dental knows this and incorporates rigorous cleaning procedures into our daily routines. We want you to rest assured that when you visit our office, your safety and health is our number one priority.
Along with regular training and constant review and updating of our procedures, below are just some of the things we do to provide for your health and safety while visiting our office.
We follow all industry guidelines
Across the dental industry, protecting patients is the top priority. The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publish guidelines that our offices strictly follow to ensure effective disinfectant and sterilization procedures are of the highest standard.
Our staff is also extensively trained to follow the procedures recommended by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We incorporate their recommendations into our regular dental office sterilization routines.
We keep common areas perfectly clean
As in every part of life, the first impression is most important! We know that you’ll feel the commitment we have to your health and safety from the moment you walk into our offices. We clean all common areas and waiting rooms frequently, making sure that carpets, upholstery, and windows are free of dirt, stains, and dust. All tables and magazine racks are frequently cleaned with disinfectant wipes.
Also, our staff has ready access to hand wash stations stocked with disinfectant hand soap, and we make available antibacterial hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks to patients seated in the waiting room.
Disinfection and cleaning of exam and procedure room surfaces
Any surface that is regularly touched in our office is also frequently cleaned! This includes surfaces that don’t necessarily come into direct contact with bacteria or infectious germs, like light switches, faucets, and drawer handles. We know that they can harbor nasty germs, so a part of our cleaning routine is to make sure that these are cleaned using EPA approved disinfectant between each and every appointment.
There are frequently touched surfaces, like dental chairs, exam lights, and other dental equipment that we cover with removable plastic barriers. These are removed, discarded, and replaced between every patient.
Dental equipment and instrument sterilization
There are many items that we use during exams and procedures that are considered single-use, disposable items. There are things like eyewear, face masks, gloves, face shields, and gowns. Once these items have been used with a patient, they are removed and appropriately disposed of.
Other items are reusable and can be cleaned and sterilized to have available for use with other patients. We follow rigorous protocols to make sure that these items are safe to use again and again.
Our process starts by washing and cleaning used instruments with an ultrasonic cleaner to make sure that they are free of bacteria, germs, and debris. Each instrument is then packaged and sealed in a plastic container. The instruments are then sterilized using a dental autoclave, which applies pressure, steam, and heat to completely and thoroughly sterilize each item.
Finally, the sterilized instruments are stored safely in a special cabinet, and the cleaning materials and equipment are cleaned and disinfected using EPA approved chemicals.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Your health and safety is our absolute top priority. We work very hard to stop the spread of disease, bacteria, and infectious germs by following our strict cleaning routine. Winning your trust is our goal. If you would like more information or more detailed descriptions of our cleaning procedures, just give us a call. We can’t wait to have your smile back in our office again soon!
