Health and Safety

The following are some of the methods and practices we employ to ensure your safety:

• Autoclave (pressurized steam): All dental instruments and handpieces (drills) are sterilized in a high-pressure steam autoclave after each use. This process is the standard of care. Our computerized autoclave warns us in the event of an incomplete sterilization cycle, and we have protocols in place to correct such issues immediately. As an added precaution, we also use an external biological indicator test to ensure that our autoclave is functioning properly and producing sterile instruments.
• Surface Decontamination: All surfaces including countertops, dental chairs, stools, light handles, and control buttons are disinfected with chemical solutions before and after every patient. These solutions are not only formulated to eliminate infectious bacteria and viruses that could otherwise proliferate on these surfaces, but the chemicals themselves pose no health threat to our patients.
• 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, among others. Gloves and masks are also discarded after each use.
• Patient and Staff Screening: All patients are screened for any symptoms or risk factors related to COVID-19 over the phone when booking appointments. Additionally, when patients enter the office, they will have their temperature checked, asked to use hand sanitizer, and screened again regarding any symptoms or risk factors. Every workday, staff are similarly screened and have their temperatures taken.
• Physical Distancing: Our waiting room is laid out to comply with physical distancing measures. Patients are asked to wait in their cars until the office calls notifying the room is ready for the patient.
• Temperature Checks: We temperature check patients prior to every visit and staff members twice daily.
• COVID Consent Forms: We have our patients complete COVID screening forms indicating no contact with COVID positive person, no symptoms of COVID, and no traveling outside the country within the last 14 days prior to their visit.
• Increased Sanitization: High-touch areas sanitized multiple times a day.
• Additional PPE: Protective PPE used by all staff.
• Virtual Waiting Rooms: This allows for social distancing; patients are asked to text from their cars upon arrival and a notification will be sent when their room is ready.