Infection Control

Infection controls and universal precautions protect clients and staff alike. Everyone benefits from rigorous infection control — you, your dentist, and the dental team. The cornerstone in a good and safe dental practice is the element of trust. You should feel free to discuss this topic with Dr. Holloway and receive a straightforward answer.

Dr. Holloway and our entire team follow procedures recommended by several federal agencies: the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

These measures include:

• Disinfectant hand soap
• Hand Sanitizer – Hu-Friedy’s Sterillium OR 3M’s Avagard.
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
  • Latex free nitrile gloves
  • Eye protection
  • Level 3 Surgical or N95/KN95 masks
  • Surgical Scrub Caps
  • Full Coverage Face Shield
  • A clean surgical coat worn and changed out for every patient/procedure
• Chemical disinfection of counter tops and surfaces using EPA approved and registered products such as Opti-Cide 3 or Advantaclear by Hu-Friedy.
• Self Contained water in all operatories internally filtered by Hu-Friedy’s Waterline Filter.  This filter cleans and maintains all the water which will come into contact with your mouth during treatment.
• Ultrasonic decontamination using Hu-Friedy’s Enzymax Duel Enzyme Detergent.  We verify the strength of our ultrasonic solution every day at 2 pm using Hu-Friedy’s Monitor Strips.
• Both of our sterilizers are tested on a weekly basis using Crosstex’s Confirm Biological Indicators.  We are proud to show our compliance record dating back to 2006!
• Sterilization of all equipment before every use using.  We utilize Hu-Friedy’s Instrument Management System (IMS) cassettes for all patient set-ups.  All other items such as hand pieces and bur blocks used during a procedure have been bagged, sterilized, and verified via a internal and external indicator.  All cassettes are verified on the exterior with indicating color changing tape and internally with Hu-Friedy’s Steam Sterilization Indicator Strips.
  
  

  

Not all dental offices approach infection control in the same manner.  We’ve made a commitment to our patients as well as our team’s overall health by investing in our infection prevention procedures by joining an exclusive program for dental practices called GREENLIGHT. This resource keeps us on track with everything we need to do to keep our office up-to-date on the latest information from our regulatory bodies, including the CDC, OSHA, and state dental boards. So as soon as anything changes, we know exactly what we need to do to be in compliance..

The best defense against disease is information. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make wise decisions about your health care. The more you know about our daily procedures and policies, the more comfortable you will feel.  Feel free to stop by our clinic to schedule a tour or call us if you have any questions about our infection control practices/policies prior to or after your visit!