Hygiene is very important for a dental practice. As a dentist and practice owner, I am primarily responsible for your safety. Your safety demands that we work with a professional hygiene concept. Here are some excerpts of how we proceed.
The practice team wears work clothes and, of course, pays attention to personal hygiene. The team protects themselves by wearing gloves, mouth and nose protection, goggles or a face mask.
The furniture of the practice as well as the floor, the water supply lines, suction, impressions, etc. are regularly disinfected. Instruments that are placed in the mouth are additionally sterilized.
Disinfection is defined as sterilization of certain defined microbes to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Sterilization achieves irreversible inactivation (killing) of all microorganisms capable of reproduction. The state of materials and objects achieved by this is called “sterile”.
The dental instruments are disinfected in a single operation, cleaned and dried in a so-called thermal disinfector (this is a kind of dishwasher, which washes with water of at least 93° C). Furthermore, parts of the practice device, such as trays or cuspidors are disinfected in this device.
After disinfection, all instruments – including the handpieces and drilling motors as well as e.g. the air chisel devices – in the so-called Vacuklav (Vacuklav 40-B, Melag) sterilized under vacuum (about 2 bar) and with steam (more than 100° C). The negative pressure ensures that all cavities are sterilized. Instruments for surgical, endodontic, periodontal and prophylactic treatments are packaged, sterilized and stored separately.
Before and after each treatment, the work surfaces, the dental chair and other furnishings in the treatment room are disinfected. The room is again fresh and clean prepared for the next patient.