Editor's note: Mark Burhenne is a practicing family and cosmetic dentist of 25 years and founder of AsktheDentist.com.
He is dedicated to empowering people to take control of their dental
health, stop managing symptoms and prevent chronic illnesses in the
mouth. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
The unfortunate reality
is that you, as the consumer, have very little chance of knowing what's
going on -- it's a huge trust relationship. Cross contamination is
literally invisible because it's caused by microbes invisible to the
human eye, so only the professionals can guarantee that it doesn't
happen.
That doesn't mean it's
out of your control. Use this checklist to find out how seriously your
dentist takes the issue of infection control procedures.
1. Watch the gloves
You would never use a
cutting board used for raw chicken to chop up some broccoli unless you
washed it first -- and preventing cross infection in the dental office
is no different.
Ask yourself:
-- How does my dentist
put on gloves? Gloves put on by your dentist should come out of the
glove dispenser, not off an unsterilized countertop.
-- What does my dentist
touch with the gloves? Your dentist should only touch the sterile
instruments or your mouth -- if anything else gets touched or if the
dentist leaves the room, it's time for a new pair of gloves.
-- How many soap
containers do I see in the office? Soap containers should be visible and
everywhere and dentist and staff should be making use of them in front
of you, in addition to using gloves.
Ask your dentist:
-- Do you change your gloves for every patient? Gloves should absolutely be changed in between patients.
2. Check out the office
A clean, uncluttered
office can be an indication of how serious your dentist is about
sterilization. If the office is cluttered, it's harder to clean.
Ask yourself:
-- How clean is the
office? Is it tidy and uncluttered? If there's lots of junk on the
countertops, that can make for surfaces that aren't easily sterilized.
-- Are there carpets?
Carpets can't be sterilized, but hospital-grade linoleum floors can.
These can all be indications of how serious a dentist is about
cleanliness.
-- Are there special
containers for disposal of needles and sharp items? If you can't see
them, ask where they're kept. Devices have to either be sterilized or
thrown away. A dentist should be using these containers to dispose of
used devices and using new ones on the next patient.
Ask your dentist:
-- Are operatory rooms
(the room where the dental chair is) cleaned between patients? The staff
should be disinfecting the surfaces in the operatory between every
patient.
-- Where do you
disinfect instruments? There should be a single room or space in the
dental office that is completely dedicated to the disinfection of
instruments. Ask your dentist to tell you about this space and what the
procedures are.
-- How do you sterilize your instruments? Instruments should be sterilized in between each patient, including the dental drill.
-- How do you know that the sterilizer is working properly? This brings me to my next point.
3. Ask for autoclave validation
In my office, this is a
form that we keep on our bulletin board. It's a certificate from a third
party company that sends the dentist a package full of envelopes of
bacteria that are difficult to kill.
The dentist or staff
will put these bacteria into the sterilization machine -- or autoclave,
in dental terms -- weekly or monthly, put the package into the mail, and
the company analyzes the package and sends a report to the dentist on
how well the sterilization machine is functioning. Another word for this
is biological monitoring.
Ask your dentist:
-- May I see a copy of
your autoclave validation? If your dentist is willing and able to show
you this report, this demonstrates a commitment and dedication to
protecting your health. If your dentist doesn't want to show you or gets
defensive, this could be a red flag.
4. Check the instruments
Your dentist should be
unwrapping a sealed bag of instruments in front of you. A sealed bag
indicates that the instruments have been sterilized -- or in dental
terms, autoclaved -- by a machine. If bag is already open, then it's
possible that those are used instruments that contain another person's
germs.
Ask yourself:
-- Where did the
instrument come from? Once instruments are out of the sterilized bag,
your dentist should leave them on a sterile tray, not a dirty
countertop.
Ask your dentist:
-- Do you use the bags
that change color when they're autoclaved? Many autoclave bags have a
color indicator on them to indicate that the instruments inside were
properly sterilized. Not all bags have this, but it can start a good
conversation with your dentist about sterilization procedures used in
the office.
5. Speak up
Never be afraid to ask
questions. A good dentist will be proud to tell you of the measures the
office takes to ensure your safety, protection and well-being.
Ask your dentist:
-- "In your office, how
do you guarantee that you do not cross infect patients?" The dentist's
reaction to this alone is telling. The dentist and staff should be
dedicated to answering your questions and making you feel comfortable.
And do your research.
The more you know about this topic, the better able you will be to
engage in a conversation with your dentist. Do a background check.
Usually, there's a governing body that oversees dentists in your state.
They keep a record of infractions -- call to find out if your dentist is
on that list. Educate yourself about dental infection control
standards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and the American Dental Association can help.
If you ever see
something that makes you believe that your dentist and the staff are not
perfectionists when it comes to cleanliness, trust your instincts and
go somewhere else, or at least speak up.
Cross infection, in
general, is exceedingly rare because dentists follow strict state and
federal guidelines. The risk of your health being affected by not seeing
the dentist is far greater than the risk of cross infection.
Thank you to CNN for this very informative article. Find Original Source here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/health/dentist-5-things/index.html
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