• COVID-19 Safety and Sterilization

    In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we follow stringent hygiene protocols for the safety of our patients and our staff as per guidelines issued by relevant regulatory bodies.

    General:

    • Teleconsultation to understand the nature and severity of the problem and minimize the number of visits.
    • Patients are seen strictly on an appointment basis. No walk-ins are entertained.
    • Patient registration and COVID-19 screening are done online – paperless/contactless facility.
    • Clear instructions are given digitally for the protocol to be followed before and during the visit.
    • Pre and post-operative instructions/prescriptions are given digitally.
    • Only one patient is allowed inside, at a time.
    • We don’t encourage accompanying persons unless absolutely necessary.
    • We recommend the completion of maximum treatment procedures in one sitting to minimize the number of visits.

    At Entry:

    • Contactless hand sanitizers.
    • Temperature check with IRT.
    • Oxygen saturation checks with a pulse oximeter.
    • Fresh, disposable set of patient protection kit given – mask, hand gloves, shoe covers, head cap, gown, and eye protection as may be required.
    • Disposable bags to keep belongings.
    • No reading material, brochures, etc in the reception. All instructions are communicated on the TV screen only.

    In the Operatory:

    • Doctors and staff use a fresh set of scrubs and PPE.
    • Half-a-minute rinsing with povidone-iodine/chlorhexidine to reduce viral load significantly.
    • Plastic disposable bib provided.
    • All contact areas of the chair are covered with cling film to be disposed off after every appointment.
    • Use of disposables like paper cups, disposable suction tips, etc, wherever possible.
    • Reduction of aerosol at source by use of powerful suctioning devices/rubber dams, etc.
    • Distilled water is used in all water lines.
    • All water lines are cleaned with suitable disinfectant solutions.
    • Installation of air purifiers- with HEPA filters, activated carbon filter, titanium dioxide filters, DuoTron technology, ultraviolet C-lamp and a clean air delivery rate of 419 m3 /hr.

    In-between Appointments:

    • Disinfection of all surfaces in the operatory and reception area with quaternary ammonium compounds and sodium hypochlorite.
    • Mopping of the floor and horizontal surfaces using the ‘3 bucket technique’- first with quaternary ammonium compound, then plain water, and then an appropriate sanitizer/sodium hypochlorite.
    • Alternate use of 2 operatories to prevent cross-contamination.
    • All instruments go through several steps of disinfection and sterilization processes – mechanical cleansing of organic debris with detergent, ultrasonic cleaning in enzyme solution, and finally autoclaving in sealed pouches.
    • Sufficient time interval between every appointment to enable thorough disinfection and sanitization.

    Sterilization

    The mouth is a permanent source of microorganisms that could be transferred and cause infection in other persons through blood, saliva, or tissue debris. The importance of sterilization is infection control.

    The process of sterilization eliminates any infectious pathogens such as bacteria on dental instruments making them safe to use on other patients. Saliva and blood can carry pathogens that can be transferred to other patients if they are not killed. Simply disinfecting these instruments is not sufficient.

    The current climate in society regarding infectious diseases in general, and herpes, hepatitis, and HIV infections, in particular, dictates that today’s dental practices must use effective infection control techniques.

    Any dental procedure requires the dentists to follow strict sterilization procedures to:

    • Protect the patients & Dental personnel from cross infections.
    • Ensure that the surgical site does not get infected, which could result in failure of the treatment due to poor healing.

    What is C-DOS Certification?

    The Committee for Dental Office Standards (C-DOS), under the aegis of the Indian Dental Association Mumbai, certifies those oral health professionals who follow standard universal measures at their practices in keeping with the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta and other organizations.

    As a patient and consumer, you are entitled to know the precautions and provisions of the following safety standards when you visit a dental practice. Your C-DOS certified dentist mandatorily ensures your protection against Hepatitis and AIDS amongst other diseases.

    The C-DOS protocol must include:

    • Autoclaving at 121 degrees under 15-20 psi pressure for at least 20 mins.
    • Sterilization pouches that change color automatically only when a critical temperature is reached.
    • Chemical / cold sterilization: use of chemicals for sterilization of non-autoclavable instruments. Use of disinfectant sprays for surface decontamination.
    • Use of potable water and cleansing of tubing systems in the dental unit after every patient.
    • Hand disinfectants apart from soap are clearly visible and used between patients.
    • Use of freshly sterilized mats, clean cling films, new suction tips, and disposable glasses for each patient.
    • Multiple instrument sets, especially handpieces (drills), root canal instruments, and burs so that fresh ones are used for every patient.
    • Use of DISPOSABLE syringes, needles, and "needle burner" to destroy once used needles. Pre-treatment antibacterial mouth rinse is provided to each patient.
    • The dental professional and staff are suitably vaccinated, gloved, and aproned.
    • Emergency drugs for example deriphylline, hydrocortisone, etc., and oxygen cylinder are available and within reach.
    • Waste is disposed of in a clean and hygienic manner(biowaste management system).

    Apart from the above, the C-DOS certified clinic has to and maintains retrievable patient records, dental education literature, a clean and septic environment.

    Remember, we are in the business of spreading smiles!