Infection Control

CPW Dentistry has always exceeded infection control standards in our offices to protect the well-being of our patients, team, and community. Now, we’re going even further to ensure you’re cared for in a safe environment.

We want you to step into your appointment with peace of mind.

✓ Special Protocols for COVID-19:

We’re taking COVID-19 seriously, so we’ve made some modifications to the way we do things. Here are some other changes you may notice at your next visit:

1. Before your appointment:
   • ✓ Screening questions: We’ll ask some quick questions about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure. If you or anyone close to you is sick, please call us to reschedule. We’ll waive the cancellation fee.
2. Safe arrival:
   • ✓ Health checks: All patients and team members check their temperature when they arrive.
3. Safe appointments:
   • ✓ PPE: Clinical team members wear appropriate personal protective equipment including masks, gloves, and/or special gowns or clothes. If there’s any risk of water splashing, we’ll give you disposable glasses to protect your eyes.
   • ✓ Pre-treatment rinse: To help reduce the number of germs that might be in your mouth, we’ll ask you to do a quick rinse with a peroxide based solution before we start your care.
   • ✓ High-volume evacuators: We’ve invested in special suction devices designed to reduce aerosols. They draw a large volume of air quickly to control any particles before they leave the mouth, and reduce the risk of contamination. You can learn more on the Releaf website.
   • ✓ Medical grade air filters: We’ve installed multi-stage air purifiers that feature a HEPA filter, an activated carbon filter, and germicidal UV-C+ bulbs. This system is designed to capture viruses, dust particles, pollen, volatile organic chemicals, mold, allergens, and bio-aerosols. You can learn more on the Surgically Clean Air website.
   • ✓ Extra disinfection: In addition to the precautions we always take sterilizing clinical areas, we’re wiping down commonly touched areas in non-clinical areas like reception frequency, too. It’s all done with a hospital-grade disinfectant that kills the coronavirus on contact.

✓ Everyday Protocols

Dental teams are trained to regularly encounter and stop the spread of infections like the flu, HPV, herpes, and the common cold. Our profession is uniquely prepared to address COVID-19. Many of the precautions we’re taking now have been the standard for years:

1. ✓ Hand hygiene: Providers thoroughly wash and/or sanitize their hands between every appointment.
2. ✓ Protective barriers: We use “barrier tape” over objects in treatment rooms we touch frequently but can’t sterilize. You might see us apply this to things like light switches, chair buttons, and computer mice. We change it between every person we see. The headrests on the chairs are covered with a disposable barrier that we replace after each visit. We also put easily cleanable barriers over computer keyboards, which we clean between appointments.
3. ✓ Sterilization: All of our instruments are put in a high-pressure STATIM brand autoclave after every use to sterilize them. We carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintenance and adhere to a routine cleaning schedule. We also monitor sterilization procedures using biological, mechanical, and chemical indicators. Biological monitoring is done by a third party to ensure no bacteria survives the sterilization process. We wrap and seal instruments in a package with an indicator that changes color during the sterilization process. This helps us identify instrument packages that have been sterilized, so there’s no chance that contaminated instruments could get mixed up with sterile ones. We’ll open the bag in front of you, so you know the instruments are pristine just for you.
4. ✓ Disposable items: Anything that can be disposed of after every use is. You’ll get your own suction straw, air/water tip, and polisher tip at every visit.
5. ✓ Disinfectant: If something in a treatment room like a counter-top or a chair seat can’t be covered in a barrier, sterilized in an autoclave, or disposed of, then we use a clinical disinfectant to clean it between every appointment. Using this cleaner greatly reduces the possibility of a provider transferring germs from a contaminated surface. We use the same disinfectant as operating and emergency rooms.

We’re carefully following the latest guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control, the Department of Health, and the American Dental Association.