At Tamarac Dental Care safety of our patients has always been our top priority. As a function of which we have always used highest industry standards to implement infection control in our offices, we hope you have recognized this during your visits. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we have always followed in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We will follow the guidelines of these agencies and go even beyond their recommendations so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
Medical Grade Sterilization
We follow two step process to make our instruments sterile. First the instruments are thoroughly washed to remove any visible debris and air dried. Secondly the instruments are sealed in sterilizing pouches and locked in an autoclave for 30 minutes at 121°C (250°F).
Moist heat destroys microorganisms by the irreversible coagulation and denaturation of enzymes and structural proteins. In support of this fact, it has been found that the presence of moisture significantly affects the coagulation temperature of proteins and the temperature at which microorganisms are destroyed.
To maintain highest standards, biological and chemical indicator testing is also done for ongoing quality assurance testing of representative samples of actual products being sterilized and product testing when major changes are made in packaging, wraps, or load configuration.
CDC Recommended Disinfection
CDC has divided noncritical surfaces in dental offices into clinical contact and housekeeping surfaces.
All clinical contact surfaces are disinfected between patients with an intermediate-disinfectant (i.e., EPA-registered hospital disinfectant with tuberculocidal claim).
Sanitizing Station
One of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wash your hands with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol).
We have placed hand sanitizers all around the office to make it easily accessible to both our patients and staff.