Sterilization & Infection Control

As health care professionals, we are concerned for your health and safety, as well as our own. Therefore, we take rigorous steps to prevent the possible spread of infection by sterilizing instruments, disinfecting surfaces, and wearing protective clothing, so you can be assured of receiving the finest care in a safe and healthy environment.

Infection controls and universal precautions protect patients and staff alike. Everyone benefits from rigorous infection control - you, your dentist, and the dental team. You should feel free to discuss this topic with either of the Drs. Koup or your hygienist, and you will receive a straightforward answer.

Drs. Koup and Koup and their staff follow procedures recommended by several federal agencies: the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These measures include:

• Using protective clothing - laboratory coats, scrubs, gloves, protective eyewear, and masks
• Changing gloves after each patient contact
• Washing hands and instruments thoroughly after each patient contact
• Heat-sterilizing all non-disposable instruments
• Disinfecting surfaces and equipment after each patient
• Discarding disposable needles and syringes in puncture-resistant containers
• Disposing of infectious waste in leak-proof, closable bags color-coded and labeled in accordance with all regulations

Our office heat-sterilizes all reusable equipment, including dental handpieces. We use an autoclave, a device that kills bacteria and viruses by steam under pressure at a temperature of 274 degrees

Seen to the right is the newest development in infection control. We sterilize the water that supplies our operatories and dental units via an ultraviolet filtration system that takes city water (tap water) and purifies it - eliminating contamination. While this purification is not required by any agency, we believe in eliminating the possible spread of disease, and this was an appropriate precaution that we chose to take to ensure the protection of our patients.