Like many people, we at My Family Dentistry heard this week about a case involving a dentist in Oklahoma who, through extreme negligence in sanitation and safety procedures, put more than 7,000 patients at risk of serious infectious disease.
As a dental practice that prides itself on safety and the highest level of care for our patients, we find the Oklahoma case disturbing. We want to assure all of our patients that we hold ourselves to the most stringent standards of cleanliness.
Specifically, we employ the following practices to ensure your safety:
1. Each instrument is cleaned and scrubbed in an ultrasonic bath to sterilize it after use
2. After sterilization, every instrument is packaged and remains sealed until needed
3. We clean every room with an ADA-approved disinfectant after each patient
4. Our equipment undergoes in-house testing daily
5. A third-party agency tests our equipment weekly (and we’ve never tested positive for any risk factors)
6. We use non-bleach cleaners to sterilize instruments
7. A deep cleaning of our facilities is done weekly
In a statement issued in response to the news reports, Academy of General Dentistry President Jeffrey Cole said the following:
Because many dental procedures involve direct contact with blood and saliva, safety protocols are put in place to help stop the spread of disease. Heat sterilization of dental instruments helps prevent the spread of diseases like hepatitis and HIV. By following stringent best practices, AGD dentists maintain a commitment to patient health and safety. If your dentist is an AGD member, you can be confident that he or she strives to provide the best quality care to their patients by utilizing the most current safety protocols.”
Dr. Mullins is also a proud member of the American Dental Association, the Tennessee Dental Association, and the Second District Dental Society. In addition to practicing dentistry, he serves as faculty at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and volunteers at rural area medical clinics around Knox and Anderson counties.
We take your trust in us very seriously. If you have any questions about our facilities or practices, please feel free to ask.
For additional information about how dentists protect you from infection, read the AGD’s Fact Sheet “Protection From Infection”.
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