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. Carpenter and receive a straightforward answer.
Dr. Carpenter 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 counter-tops and surfaces
-Sterilization of all equipment before every use
-Disposable materials
We sterilize all reusable equipment, including dental hand-pieces. We use an autoclave, a device that kills bacteria and viruses by steam, heat, and pressure.
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.
We use ozone at TDH. Ozone, in its many forms (gas, liquid) plays a significant part in naturally supporting infection control by minimizing contaminated dental lines and reducing airborne bacteria and viruses and other types of cross-contamination between patients.
For example, every patient treated in our practice has a 1-minute rinse with ozone water before their dental cleaning or dental procedure. Similar to wiping the skin before starting an IV, ozone greatly reduces the pathogenic bacteria, virus, parasite, and mold activity in the mouth before there is a chance to introduce it into the body via a dental procedure.
We also purge out lines daily with ozone water, which keeps them clean and protects patients from biofilms and other colonized infections that routinely grow in dental lines and live on and in dental equipment.
Additionlly, we treat every tooth we work on with gaseous ozone, which eliminates almost 100% of post-operative sensitivity. Imagine having a dental procedure with little to no cold or chewing sensitivity following the procedure. It’s truly awesome and completely natural!