Dental offices are high-risk environments for bacteria transfer. Extensive safety precautions are taken to minimize the risk of infection or sickness transfer to the patient. These precautions include using dams and other dental supplies, how the office is designed, and the protocols used to guide the performance of the professionals acting therein.
Here are a few key tenets of a dental clinic safety protocol you can expect at your next visit.
Mask Wearing and PPE
While in the office, but not during treatment, you may be asked to wear a face mask. Your dental professionals will also likely wear face masks to minimize bacteria and virus transfer. Dental professionals wear other PPE, such as gloves and eye protection, when dealing with patients.
Appointment Booking
A part of many clinics’ safety protocols is to not overbook themselves. By staggering appointments, it means fewer people in the clinic’s space at a given time.
Also, appointments are given more time to ensure safety protocols meant for in-app appointments are never rushed and that enough time is provided to thoroughly clean a room after a patient is done.
Freely Available Safety Supplies
Several health and safety supplies are available at the front desk for every patient or guest. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer, tissues, and disposable masks are available by request in many dental clinics.
Hand Hygiene
All team members must wash their hands with water, soap, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before performing routine exams and non-surgical procedures.
Disinfected Sanitized Dental Supplies
Careful health and safety standards require dental supplies and instruments to be carefully sanitized before use. The cleanliness of these supplies is paramount to the quality of care a patient will receive.
Any dental supplies that are not properly sanitized before use should be used. Any equipment that is not being adequately cleaned should not be in use, either. Replace old tools by contacting dental suppliers on a regular basis.
Careful Handling of Dental Supplies
After sterilizing dental supplies and equipment, it is also key to handle them with care and ensure their storage maintains them sanitized. Improper handling and storage require another round of sterilization.
Daily Dental Office Cleaning
A dental office must be thoroughly cleaned daily to ensure the area is clean and safe. This includes cleaning and disinfecting all common-tough surfaces, from desks to light switches, faucets, and door handles.
Post-Appointment Cleaning
After every appointment, the area is thoroughly wiped, sanitized, and disinfected, with all instruments, equipment, and surfaces cleaned. As the next patient walks in, everything is properly sanitized and ready.
Hazardous Substances Storage
A dental clinic uses many chemicals and hazardous substances daily, many of which can be harmful when misused. All dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances on the premises must be carefully labelled. Adequate precautions must be taken in their storage to prevent access by unauthorized personnel.
Emergency Protocols
Though exceedingly rare, emergency protocols are in place for patient safety to handle medical emergencies, such as accidental bodily injury, circulatory or respiratory issues, and allergic reactions.
Individual Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are carried out to uncover what could happen wrong and assess whether the workplace has the correct safety protocols to deal with such an issue. Potential risks must be handled by competent, experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable dental professionals who understand dental clinic safety protocols.
Highly Trained Team Members
Any person in close contact with you at a dental office has been trained to perform their specific role and health and safety standards. They have also been taught to follow dental clinic safety protocols.
Daily Health Checks for Team Members
No one works sick. Dental clinics must carefully screen their team members and perform daily health checks, within reason. This is to confirm that every professional is ready, willing, and able to provide safe dental care with as minimal risk as possible of transferring sickness.
Air Filtration Systems
Clean air is key to drastically lowering virus transfer likelihood. HEPA-grade filters and a high-functioning HVAC system are required for any dental clinic, alongside additional air filtration systems and cleaners in each room.
Fire Safety Procedures
Fires identify flammable materials, heating appliances, and electrical equipment are identified in a fire. Risk assessments must be conducted regularly, with protocols and procedures to respond to these risks.
Additional Safety Protocols
For example, during the COVID pandemic, more safety protocols may be put in place. This depends on what is occurring at a workplace at that given moment.
Infection control is always a high priority for these clinics, with specific safety protocols outlined by governing bodies and public health protocols to be followed.
