Sterilization & Infection Control

All dental instruments used at our office are sterilized with a certified autoclave. This device uses steam at a very high heat and pressure which is certain to kill all microorganisms still present on the tools. Following these procedures ensures that we do not transmit any organism between the soft oral tissues of one patient and another, as can occur if the autoclave is not used properly.

After cleaning, we store all instruments in sealed dental sterilization bags to maintain sterility until use. The oldest-cleaned instruments are used first, in accord with proper methods to ensure cleanliness and safety. We meticulously follow – and, in fact, exceed – all Center for Disease Control requirements for proper instrument hygiene.

Whenever possible, we use disposable items that can be discarded entirely after use, ensuring that each patient is treated with a fresh, untouched instrument. This is not possible with all tools, though, which is why we make thorough use of the autoclave and other cleaning measures. Disposable items which are not used, but are exposed to a non-sterile environment, are also disposed of.

We clean our water lines for proper “backflow” requirements, which prevents oral fluids from being sucked back into the water supply and potentially contaminating public water. A separate contained water supply is maintained at each dental unit and flushed regularly. These self-contained water supplies eliminate the risk that blood, saliva, and other fluids will be aspirated into the general water system.

We use the biological spore test conducted by an independent medical laboratory to test and verify the effectiveness of our dental sterilization measures. Spore testing involves checking to see if our autoclave procedures kill the spores of extremely tough microorganisms. When it is shown that they can, this is proof that any less resistant organism (which includes practically anything likely to be found on dental instruments such as dental laser and tools) are also certain to be destroyed.

These dental infection control, sterilization and verification procedures are your assurance of our responsible practices and dedication to ensuring that our dental work is safe for you and will not cause secondary infections or problems.