PATIENT SAFETY
At Fuller Smiles 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 at Fuller Smiles. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we have always followed in our practice as well as those implemented in light of COVID-19 in order 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) and are covered with barrier protective coverings (e.g., clear plastic wraps).
UV Disinfection of Non-Medical Equipment
UVC radiation has effectively been used for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria, such as tuberculosis. For this reason, UVC lamps are often called “germicidal” lamps.
UVC radiation has been shown to destroy the outer protein coating of the SARS-Coronavirus, which is a different virus from the current SARS-CoV-2 virus. The destruction ultimately leads to the inactivation of the virus.
Fumigation of Office Space
A wet fog machine normally uses a chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide-based product.
For several decades, the medical industry has been utilizing these machines for sanitizing hospitals.
In 2014, even NASA started using and promoting these machines.
A 2017 study of the virucidal activity of using a fogging machine with chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants against Human Norovirus found a significant advantage to fogging in that it can uniformly provide exposure to disinfectant throughout the room, covering even hard-to-reach surfaces.
We fumigate our office space at the start and end of each day to disinfect every corner of our office.
HEPA Filters
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA), also known as high-efficiency particulate absorbing and high-efficiency particulate arrestance, is an efficient standard of the air filters.
HEPA filters are composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibers. The fibers are typically composed of fiberglass with diameters between 0.5 and 2.0 micrometers.
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.
Adequate Personal Protective Equipment
Our staff and most importantly our doctors use the ADA recommended PPE.
Following personal protective equipment is used at our offices:
- NIOSH N 95 masks
- Surgical masks
- Headcovers
- Face shields
- Isolation gown
- Gloves
Daily Health Screenings
Our staff undergoes daily temperature checks at the start of our day in order to make sure that no symptomatic individual comes in contact with our patients or staff. Our staff regularly gets tested for COVID 19.
COVID Screening of All Patient
Symptom screening is a way dental offices can lower the chance of COVID-19 transmission in the clinics. Infection prevention in the workplace is important to prevent the spread of COVID- 19.
We use phone screening before confirming the appointment and in-office screening at the beginning of the appointment. Depending on the screenings our staff and doctors make the determination to either see the patients or reschedule their appointment.
We are going above and beyond any protocol used to date. To that end, you must know that your “normal” treatment times will be substantially longer, even for the simplest procedure. We ask for your patience. All of this is done for your protection and ours.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you and every patient safe in our practice. To schedule an appointment please send us an email or call us and follow us for the latest updates on Instagram @fullersmilesdental
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients and staff.
Sincerely,
Fuller Smiles