Patient Safety

Protecting the health and safety of our patients and staff through rigorous infection control is a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your visits to our office.  To ensure a clean and sterile environment we follow strict protocols and procedures as well as invest in the latest equipment and products.

  1.  Only the cleanest water is used to rinse your child’s teeth (using DentaPure Straws to disinfect water).
  2.  Water lines are treated regularly and flushed daily to ensure clean water.
  3.  SafeFlo valves are used on suction tips to eliminate back flow cross contamination.
  4.  Regular monitoring and testing of sterilizers ensures optimal effectiveness.
  5. Digital X-ray system uses an additional advanced filter that further reduces exposure to our patients.
  6. Continuously disinfecting our treatment areas using hospital grade disinfectants.
  7. Sterilizing all equipment that is non-disposable.
  8. Dental care providers will continue masking while providing care in compliance with Cal/OSHA and the dental board’s infection control regulations

During the COVID-19 pandemic our office has been following infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations. We are planning on making any recommended changes to help maximize the safety of our patients and staff.  A few examples of these new recommendations and changes are:

  1. Wellness checks for all persons entering the office including patients, family members and staff. We will be screening via questionnaires and temperature readings and only allowing those without any signs or symptoms of infection to be present in our office.
  2. Hand sanitizing stations at the entrance and increasing good hygiene practices.
  3. California Department of Public Health has changed their guidelines and as of April 3, 2023, patients and visitors will no longer be required to wear face masks in dental offices. Rest assured, your children’s dental care providers will continue masking while providing them care in compliance with Cal/OSHA and the dental board’s infection control regulations. We are also strongly recommending masks for anyone in our office having face-to-face interactions with others, having any respiratory illness symptoms or recent significant exposure to COVID-19. Please reach out to any of us with any concerns.
  4. Enhanced air filtration devices that utilize HEPA filters and UV light.
  5. Cleaning and disinfecting public areas frequently, including door handles, chairs, and bathrooms.
  6. Avoiding handshakes and minimizing physical contact (including maintaining distance when possible).
  7. Removing toys, reading materials and prize boxes since they are not easily disinfected.
  8. Treating a reduced number of patients in the office daily to minimize the number of people in the office at one time.