The
Smiles Dr always provides a safe and clean environment. We meet
or exceed all guidelines set forth by the ADA, OSHA, and the
Center for Disease Control.
We employ hospital cleanliness
standards and sterilization techniques. Using a three-step sterilization
process on all instruments and handpieces, with the last step
being steam sterilization, each patient we treat is completely
protected.
Providing a good clean, disinfected environment for each patient
is critical. We use plastic coverings in all of our treatment
rooms and all water used for patient treatment passes through
an ultra-violet sterilization process. We also use protective
equipment such as latex gloves, masks, eyewear, and lab coats.
And when possible, we use disposable items.
The Smiles Dr welcomes
your questions and the opportunity to demonstrate how we handle
sterilization techniques and patient protection. We want you
to feel comfortable about your treatment in our office.
HYGIENE
EQUIPMENT UTILISED AT THE SMILES DR
SIROCLAVE
B
- First-class
sterilization results.
The professional sterilization.
• The fractionated vacuum prior to sterilization ensures optimum
steam penetration: ideal for difficult sterilization jobs and
for wrapped instruments (solid and hollow instrument types,
Class A+B)
• DUAL Water system
• Complies with the most stringent hygiene norms (prEN 13060-1/-2)
Fully desalinated water.
For laboratories and dental/medical practices.
Why purchase expensive distilled water?
The SIRODEM water treatment system allows you to produce purified
water simply and at low cost.
The Miele G 7881 Dental
Washer Disinfector is designed for efficient cleaning and thermal
disinfection of dental instruments. The unit cleans and disinfects
instruments with a high-temperature cycle rather than a chemical
bath. The system allows a dental office to bypass many manual
steps that were once required to clean instruments. The G 7881
Dental Washer Disinfector does 4 steps in 1: Pre-soak, Rinse,
Clean and Dry!
Using the G 7881 Dental Washer Disinfector, you simply load
the machine, select a cycle and let the machine do the rest.
The fully automated system eliminates the need for pre-soaking,
hand scrubbing, rinsing and drying, making instruments ready
for sterilization more quickly and safely. Its impressively
quiet performance helps the dental office operate without distraction.
With more and more dental offices renovating old spaces and
building new ones, there is a growing trend to find high tech
equipment to gain efficiency. The Miele G 7881 Dental Washer
Disinfector is the right choice for progressive dental practices
that are interested in streamlining cleaning and modernizing
sterilization areas.
The Miele G 7881 Dental Washer Disinfector is the result of
extensive R&D in close cooperation with the dental industry.
It has been developed specifically for the cleaning of dental
instruments and accessories, and is suitable for reducing the
risk of infection by providing high-level disinfection.
Clean and disinfected
instruments are the result of four key elements. The mechanical
action of the water provides a natural scrubbing effect, detergents
chemically attack the soil, the proper water temperature aids
the chemical and mechanical action, and sufficient time allows
these elements to work to full effect.
High
Level Disinfection
During the processing
and packaging of soiled dental instruments, personnel are required
by CDC guidelines to wear heavy gloves while handling the instruments.
Not only does this slow the process of sterilization and disinfection,
but a puncture wound exposes the worker to risk of infection
from the patient. High-level disinfection makes instruments
clean enough to be handled with bare hands. Not only is this
faster and easier, it also eliminates the dangerous step of
scrubbing the instruments by hand.
The G 7881 Dental Washer Disinfector offers a program for thermal
disinfection with simultaneous cleaning, rinsing, and optional
drying of instruments and accessories. The disinfection takes
place at 93ºC/200ºF with a holding time of 10 minutes, resulting
in tuberculocidal disinfection including the inactivation of
HIV, MTV and HBV without the use of chemical disinfectants.
When retrieving the instruments/cassettes from the disinfector,
they are safe for handling.
You may not be aware that sterilization and other infection
control precautions take place, because many of these procedures
occur out of your view. We want to give you some tips on how
to talk with your dentist, and on some of the things you can
look for in your dentist's office to allay your anxiety about
patient safety. Spending a few minutes talking about infection
control procedures will not only boost your confidence, it also
will help you become a smart dental consumer and form a successful
relationship with your dentist. Here's what you should ask.
I've
heard about universal precautions. Can you tell me what they
are?
Universal precautions
are safety procedures established by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association.
They are used for each and every patient to prevent the transmission
of the AIDS virus and other infectious diseases. These precautions
require all dental staff involved in patient care to use appropriate
protective garb such as gloves, and sometimes masks and eyewear.
After each patient visit, the gloves are discarded, hands are
washed and a new pair of gloves is used for the next patient.
Do you sterilize
the instruments including the handpiece (drill) after each patient?
According to a recent
study in the journal of the American Dental Association, virtually
all dentists sterilize their handpiece (drill) between patients.
Dental offices follow specific heat sterilization procedures
which are outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the American Dental Association. Disposable items, such
as needles and saliva ejectors, cannot be sterilized and are
discarded in special containers.
How do you sterilize
the instruments? Can you show me how it's done?
Dental instruments are
cleaned and sterilized at very high temperatures after each
time they are used on a patient. Recommended sterilization methods
include: an autoclave (steam under pressure), a dry heat oven,
or chemical vapor (commonly called a chemiclave). The sterilization
equipment usually is not in the treatment room, but if you'd
like to see how and where it's done, ask the dental staff to
show you.
How do you clean
and disinfect the examining room, and how often is this done?
Before you enter the
examining room, all surfaces, such as the dental chair, dental
light, drawer handles and countertops have been cleaned and
decontaminated. Some offices may cover this equipment with protective
covers, which are replaced after each patient. Sharp items and
anything contaminated with blood or saliva are disposed of in
special containers.
Are there other
safety guidelines that dentists must follow?
Yes. OSHA, the federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has specific
regulations that protect employees from injury and illness in
the work place. These "safe workplace" regulations
pertain to occupational settings, including dental offices with
one or more employees. While the primary purpose of the regulations
is to safeguard employees, these procedures also protect the
patient. For example, gloves provide protection for both you
and the dental team.
Don't let uncertainty
about safety keep you away from the dentist's office, or cause
anxiety while you're there, when a few minutes of conversation
with your dentist can set your mind at ease.
Your dental health is
too important to neglect. Remember to learn the facts about
your dentist's infection control procedures by starting with
a little heart-to-heart.
If you don't have a dentist,
you can obtain ADA referrals by contacting your local dental
society. The local dental society is usually listed in the telephone
directory under "dentist" or "association."
What are the
things to look for?
Is the dental office
clean and orderly?
Is the dental staff helpful and willing to answer your questions?
Do the dentist and staff wear gloves and other appropriate
protective gear during all actual patient treatment?
Do the dentist and staff wash their hands before donning a clean
pair of gloves?
Do all surfaces and equipment in the treatment room appear clean?
Are needles and other sharp items disposed of in special puncture-resistant
containers?
Is everything that is used in the patient's mouth either heat
sterilized or disposable?
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....Copyright
2006: The Smiles Dr | All Rights Reserved | Cosmetic
Dentist | Toothache Dentist | Emergency
Dentist | Public Holiday Dentist
