Dental Infection Prevention Practices

At Los Gatos Family Dentistry, we strictly adhere to the sanitation and infection control guidelines put forth by the American Dental Association and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the California Department of Public Health, and the California Dental Association. Our infection control procedures exceed CDC guidelines. The additional COVID-19 infection protocols and measures further improve the safety of our patients and our staff. We want to reassure you that our patient’s safety has always been our number one priority and that our dental office cleanliness and sanitation have always exceeded the required standards to prevent the spread of any illness.

We Look Forward to Seeing You!

We look forward to welcoming you and scheduling an appointment for you soon. If you’re apprehensive because of COVID-19, we hope you’ll consider that there are numerous benefits associated with choosing a small dental practice like Los Gatos Dentistry.

With a smaller staff size, we see fewer patients on any given day than a larger dental practice. We are closed to seeing patients on Wednesdays and Fridays, allowing more time for cleaning and disinfection.

Our commitment to quality dentistry and patient care remains unchanged. Please follow the links below to review our infection control protocols and what to expect at your next appointment.

• Our Standard Infection Control Practices
• DentaPure Cartridges
• Before Your Appointment
• Expanded Infection Protocols

Our Standard Infection Control Practices

We follow the standard precautions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended. These include using gloves, eyewear, and masks during treatment and sterilizing all devices and instruments used in the office. We also have a dedicated team that regularly cleans and disinfects all surfaces. We use water and soap for hand washing, and our dentists perform injections as safely as possible to protect our patients.

The following are the standard infection control practices that we follow:

• Staff must wash hands between each patient for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
• Common areas are frequently wiped down using a professional-grade disinfectant. These include doorknobs, pens, countertops, light switches, children’s toys, patient forms, chairs, and workstations.
• A hospital-grade disinfectant and deodorizer are used to sanitize the air and disinfect soft surfaces throughout the day to kill viruses, bacteria, and mold. 
• Hand sanitizers are available throughout the office. Please use them upon arrival.
• Our restroom is monitored and cleaned several times a day. Floors are cleaned regularly as well as commonly touched surfaces.
• Barriers are used in the operatories on non-critical surfaces and all surfaces are wiped down with a professional-grade disinfectant after each patient. The brand we use is the fastest cleaner on the market with a low EPA toxicity rating. Such viruses as Noro, HIV, Hepatitis, RSV, Influenza, etc. are killed in 30 seconds on contact.
• Dental units and waterlines are purged and disinfected before seeing patients in the morning, after each patient, and at the end of each day. Water used during dental procedures is treated with an antimicrobial “shock” treatment before use.
• High volume evacuation (HVE) is used during dental procedures to minimize aerosols.
• Instruments are sterilized under steam and pressure to over 270 degrees F. Spore testing is performed weekly by an independent lab to ensure our sterilization equipment is working properly. We go one step further by performing daily chemical tests of our equipment.
• Daily and weekly maintenance are performed on our autoclave equipment. Annual maintenance is performed by a professional service. 
• Staff uses personal protective equipment on each patient and ASTM Level 3 and N95 rates masks. They are trained to follow strict infection control guidelines and receive annual infection control training and review.
• Our policy to avoid “double booking” and given that we are not a high-volume practice allows us to minimize the number of patients in the office throughout the day.

What You Need to Know About DentaPure Cartridges

Dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) consist of tubing that carries water to a dental device, such as a water syringe or ultrasonic scaler, and into a patient's mouth. When not maintained or treated, the water flowing through the plastic tubes can become contaminated with bacteria and other microorganisms, potentially causing health problems for patients.

At Los Gatos Family Dentistry, we use the DentaPure Cartridge for our water lines to avoid infections and other health issues with patients. It's one of our infection prevention practices to ensure the safety of our clients. The DentaPure™ provides one year of compliant procedural water, exceeding the current standard from the EPA. The DentaPure cartridge can be easily installed and works by reducing bacteria exposure. No harsh chemicals are used, and there's no need to worry about etching or corrosion after installation.

Before Your Appointment

• We will email patient forms before your appointment. Please complete and email them back to us. This will streamline the check-in process with less need to interact at the reception area. Of course, if you are unable to do so in advance, the forms will be available in the office, and all commonly touched items and surfaces will be disinfected after each patient.
• In an effort to keep our patients and staff healthy, we ask that anyone not feeling well to please stay home. Our team will be happy to reschedule your appointment for a later date. We will not charge a late cancellation fee due to illness. Thank you for your cooperation.

Expanded Infection Protocols

In addition to our standard sanitation and sterilization protocols, we have expanded infection protocols.

We will continue our usual rigorous process of sterilization, maintenance, and testing of instruments and equipment and are implementing new COVID-19 protocols as follows:

• Treatment rooms and common areas will be thoroughly disinfected with medical-grade disinfectant known to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. 
• A hospital-grade air sanitizer will be used between patients. Commonly touched items such as pens, forms, workstations, door handles, light switches, and waiting areas will be disinfected after each use. The bathroom will be disinfected regularly.
• We rotate between treatment rooms so they are not used for back-to-back appointments.
• Plexiglass shields have been installed in the reception area.  Magazines and toys have been removed.
• Patients will have contact with the minimum number of staff required for their treatment.
• Treatment rooms are cleaned twice.  First, the air and surfaces are disinfected with a cold fogger.  Then, then the room is cleaned with a medical grade disinfectant.
• Aerosol mitigation equipment and techniques, high evacuation suction, along with a rubber dam may be used during ultrasonic cleaning and restorative procedures.
• Several medical-grade air purifiers using PCO technology that inactivate viruses in the air and on surfaces, along with upgraded air filters for the HVAC system, have been installed.

Our staff will be screened daily. They will wear full PPE, including masks, gowns, and gloves while interacting with patients in the treatment rooms. They have received updated infection control training and simulated training exercises in the office before reopening. Staff will not be permitted to work if they are sick.

Los Gatos Family Dentistry serves patients in Los Gatos and surrounding areas. Our services include tooth extraction, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, and whitening. Contact us to learn more about our services or schedule a consultation, or if you have any questions.