For more than 30 years, Roderick Garcia, DMD has served patients from his practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he includes and provides dental cosmetic services such as veneers, crowns, implants, bonding, whitening, and gum recontouring. Throughout his career, Roderick Garcia, DMD has stayed at the forefront of new techniques through his involvement in the American Dental Association. The American Dental Association recently reminded dentists and patients of commonly accepted standards that practices undertake in order to prevent infections.
Each examining room within a dentist’s office is to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before patients come in for treatment. Every surface should be wiped down with sanitizing cloths or protectively covered to keep clean. The protective coverings must be removed from patient to patient to ensure the highest levels of cleanliness.
Dental tools and other items that aren’t disposed of in between patient visits should undergo a meticulous cleaning and sterilization process. Items such as needles, however, are not used again once the dentist has implemented them.
The dentist’s staff must also wear protective clothing in order to keep from transmitting germs. These items include masks, gloves, eyewear and other pieces of clothing. Many of these items are disposable and changed out from patient to patient.
To learn more about how dentists can control the spread of infection, visit www.mouthhealthy.org.
