How Dental Clinics Are Sanitized: What You Need to Know
Have you ever visited the dentist and thought, “How clean is this place?” To answer that, it’s very clean. In fact, dental clinics in Sioux Falls, SD strictly follow the guidelines and recommendations for disinfection and sterilization set by American health authorities and the local government. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), as well as the SD State Board.
Dental clinics ensure that both their medical experts and patients are protected from pathogens and microbes before, during, and after an operation. To help you understand further, here’s how they keep the whole place well sanitized.
Cleaning
Everything inside the clinic must be cleaned. It’s done to remove proteins, blood, microorganisms, and visible impurities from the equipment, devices, and instruments, to all surfaces, joints, serrations, and lighting.
Cleaning is a vital first step before disinfection and sterilization. Dentists in Sioux Falls, SD, and their teams accomplish the procedure mechanically or manually with water, detergent, or enzyme remover. This prevents items from contamination and prepares them for safe handling.
Disinfecting
This process kills most, if not all, microorganisms. Disinfection of contaminated surfaces is done between each patient. The dental staff follows the product label and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) instructions for safety, efficacy, and proper disinfection of all surfaces, including:
- Housekeeping Surfaces: These are the walls and floors of the clinic. Aside from regular cleanings, housekeeping surfaces also need to be disinfected after contact with infectious material, like blood and protein, or when visibly soiled.
- Clinical Contact Surfaces: These are surfaces, like dental units and countertops, which have come into contact with patients and the medical staff. While these are mostly barrier-protected and cleaned by the end of the day, a low- to intermediate-level EPA-registered surface product is used when disinfecting.
Disinfections are completed with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants for healthcare settings. This means that the products used in dental clinics have shown to be effective against pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Mycobacterium bovis (TB).
Sterilization
Sterilization is a process that kills all microbes. Single-use items, like disposable needles, saliva ejectors, and high-speed suction tips, are sterilized, packed, and opened only by the dental staff when about to be used.
Meanwhile, reusable instruments, such as scalpels, scalers, dental mouth mirrors, and burs, undergo in-lab cleaning, packaging, and sterilization before they can be used for the next patient.
Schedule a Dental Appointment With Us
Our staff diligently follows the recommendations set by national health authorities to ensure that our dental clinics in Sioux Falls, SD are sanitized above the client’s expectations. Call Pillar Dental to schedule an appointment with us.