Patient health is our top priority. SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as Covid-19 or the Coronavirus, took the world by storm at the beginning of 2020, changing the way many businesses operate to adjust to the health and safety of their patrons. Wolter Advanced Dental Care made appropriate changes as a response to the growing concern for the spread of the disease and the health of our staff and patients.
In addition to the high standard of care that was already implemented in our office, we have added new air purification systems to each treatment room and increased the frequency of disinfecting high-traffic areas. These air purifiers are state-of-the-art devices that are commonly used in hospitals and surgical centers across the nation to decrease the rate of airborne infections. Wearing medical masks has been a regular part of treatment with every dental appointment and we can strictly enforce this rule during treatment to provide appropriate medical protection during your visit.
Operatory Disinfection
When preparing to treat patients, an important step is to ensure the treatment room is clean and safe for patient care. This means it must be thoroughly and properly disinfected after each treatment visit is completed The first step is to dawn on personal protective attire including a mask coving your nose and mouth.
Protective fluid-proof barriers are placed on all surfaces that cannot be regularly sprayed by disinfectant cleaning sprays. This includes electronic devices and other equipment susceptible to water damage. All other surfaces are sprayed and cleaned after each patient to provide a sterilized treatment room for each new appointment.
The nature of dental work will regularly lead to the splashing of oral fluid and contaminated rinsing water. As such, our dental team rigorously follows the American Dental Association guidelines on treatment room disinfection and cleaning. This includes using special disinfectants that have bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and tuberculocidal properties. This means it can stop and kill bacteria, viruses (including Coronavirus), fungi, and even tuberculosis bacteria.
Equipment Sterilization
Wolter Advanced Dental Care provides microsurgical treatments that must follow all of the rules of general surgery including the sterilization of all medical equipment and components. Each tool that is used will undergo an ultrasonic and/or ultraviolet treatment to destroy the presence of foreign matter including disease-causing viruses and bacteria.
Any items that aren’t single-use, including metal instruments, oral mirrors, etc) are cleaned and sterilized in several steps. First, an ultrasonic cleaner filled with disinfecting solution will rinse and vibrate each tool. The tools are then transferred to an autoclave that uses heat, steam, and pressure to sterilize each item. Both the ultrasonic cleaner and the autoclave are regularly tested and have regular maintenance performed to meet surgical and dental standards.
Going to the dentist can be a stressful ordeal and our office does everything it can to provide a comfortable and safe environment for every patient. Wolter Advanced Dental Care believes you should not have to worry about contracting a disease when receiving treatment for a dental issue. You can feel confident that taking care of your smile at our office will not put you at risk. If you have concerns or are a person who is immunocompromised, talk to our expert staff who can answer your questions and provide expert care and safety to make sure you are smiling and healthy when you leave our office.
