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Before Your First Visit
With all of the recent publicity surrounding dentistry, it's understandable
that you might have some concerns about your visit to the dental office and
the measures taken to protect your health.
Here at Smiles R Forever Dentistry, Dr. Blattner, Dr. Murphy, Dr. Heberer,
associates, and the staff want you to be assured that your health is our
main concern. We want you to be comfortable knowing that we are following
all steps necessary to assure that your dental visit is a safe one. We hope
that this information will address some of the questions you may have.
If
you have any other concerns, please feel free to bring them to our
attention. We want you to be assured that you are getting the very best and
safest dental care that we can provide. Please remember, your health is our
number one concern.
Universal Precautions
To
protect your health we use "Universal Precautions." This means, we use the
same protection measures with every patient to prevent transmission of ANY
infectious disease.
Universal Precautions Include:
  Wearing
gloves, masks, and protective eyewear for all patient treatment
Washing
hands and changing gloves after each patient
Sterilizing
and/or disinfecting dental instruments after each use, including
handpieces
Sterilization
of all water that enters your mouth during dental care
Cleaning
and disinfecting surfaces and equipment after each patient
Disposing
of needles and other sharp items in special containers
Disposing
of waste items and contaminated materials properly
Thorough
general house cleaning twice a week
Sterilization and Disinfection
Dental offices use various methods to sterilize and disinfect in order to
kill bacteria and viruses. There are several acceptable methods for
sterilizing instruments.
 Every
instrument, single or in a tray, is hand scrubbed and then placed in another
unit in our lab. This unit is called an Ultrasonic. The Ultrasonic is not a
sterilization unit; it's purpose is to remove debris from instruments.
Instruments are placed in the Ultrasonic, and a solution of water and IMS
powder is added. Sound waves pass through the solution causing the water to
vibrate, thereby working the debris loose from the instruments.
Instruments that can withstand high temperatures may be sterilized in a
steam autoclave or Statim Sterilizer by using steam under pressure, or in a
Dri-clave, which has an oven-like environment.
We
use a tray system for some of our instruments. Our trays provide us an
efficient way to prepare our treatment rooms between patients. The trays are
made up of instruments that are already organized and set up for many
procedures, so our patients do not have to wait any longer than necessary.
We
also use a Dri-clave. This is a unit just like the autoclave, but smaller.
We use this unit to sterilize handpieces and single instruments, such as
surgical or orthodontic instruments, which are wrapped individually.
Other instruments that cannot be heated are scrubbed clean and then
sterilized or disinfected in chemical solutions. These methods of
sterilization kill any viruses and other microscopic organisms capable of
causing diseases. An example of something that cannot be heated would be a
denture cup (made of plastic) or a light handle cover.
Other
Disinfection Procedures
We
also use disinfection procedures on surfaces and equipment that cannot be
removed for cleaning and sterilization, such as countertops, drawer handles,
x-ray unit heads, and light handles.
A
chemical agent, registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as
a hospital disinfectant, is used in our office.
The
use of disposable items is another way we maintain a clean and safe
environment. Many dental materials such as gloves, masks, wipes, paper
drapes, needles, and scalpel blades are used only once and then disposed of
properly.
Our
autoclave, Statim Sterilizer, and Dri-clave are spore tested two times per
month. These tests assure us that we are meeting proper guidelines for your
safety, as well as our own.
Our
chemical solutions are also tested and changed weekly, for your safety.
X-rays
 Many
people are concerned with radiology!
We
take only the number of x-rays absolutely necessary for treatment.
Our
x-ray units are professionally tested periodically for accuracy and
radiation emissions.
Our
panoral section tomographic x-rays cut down on radiation by 80 to 90% over
conventional x-rays.
Women should always notify their dentist if they feel there is any
possibility that they may be pregnant. This allows the dentist to treat them
in a manner which protects the health of their unborn child.
We
always use the precautions necessary for your health and safety!
Sterile Water
Previously we employed dual filtration systems and a dual pretreatment
flushing method to help minimize the bacteria count in our waterlines. That
helped, but falls short of the new guidelines recommended by the American
Dental Association (ADA), the Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedure
(OSAP), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Therefore, we
have recently purchased and installed, in both our Cahokia and Waterloo
offices, a high tech water sterilizer, at a cost of over $20,000. The
Waterclave will now chemically treat our waterlines, and the deilver clean,
pure, sterile water. Our commitment is to patient safety and satisfaction.
Our
two offices are the first of six installed in the world. We have been
visited by a representative of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to see
how the Waterclave works. We test our water monthly, and it meets and
exceeds the guidelines for safe and sterile water. The Waterclave has also
received Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the fall of 2000.
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