UPDATED FOR COVID-19

As a community, we have faced many changes due to coronavirus, but one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety! 

The cornerstone of a good and safe dental practice is the element of trust. Infection control protects both our patients and our staff and it is one of our top priorities. We go to great lengths to make sure that the care you receive is in a clean environment and we have invested in the most advanced sterilization and infection control technology to help us achieve this goal. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has never been a report of any cluster of cases of COVID-19 in a dental office or among dental personnel.  

Our office follows the infection control recommendations and requirements made by the CDC, American and California Dental Associations (ADA and CDA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA). We stay up-to-date on any new regulations issued by these agencies.  We also seek guidance from both the California and San Mateo Departments of Public Health to evaluate the risk in our local community. 

HOW ARE WE KEEPING YOU SAFE?

While we have always maintained high standards for sterilization and infection control, we have implemented new protocols to help further reduce the spread of COVID-19.  

Standard infection control procedures we have always followed (this is not a complete list):

• Standard Precautions in Dentistry: treat every bodily fluid as if it were potentially contagious
• Environmental surfaces cleaned and disinfected
  • Sterilization of all equipment before every use
  • Chemical disinfection of countertops and surfaces
  • Hand hygiene
  • Use of PPE (gloves, masks, eyewear, gowns)
  • Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
  • Safe injection practices
  • Proper disposal of sharps and biohazardous materials
• Ozonated water, which is antimicrobial, in all of our dental waterlines 
  • Kills any viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and spores that might be present
• High volume suction
  • Reduces droplets and aerosols during patient care by as much as 96% 
• Infection control and prevention policies
  • Education and training for all team members (annually and upon hire)
  • Regular inspections and risk assessments
  • Routine evaluation of infection control policies

Additional protocols to reduce risk of exposure to COVID-19 (this list is continually being evaluated and refined as more research becomes available):

• Patient screening prior to appointment 
  • Temperature is taken
  • Hand sanitizer provided
• All patients are asked to wear a face mask at all times in the office before and after dental treatment 
• Promote social distancing
  • Minimize the number of patients in the office at one time
  • Control the flow of patients entering and leaving the office at the same time 
• Eliminate or reduce aerosol production during dental procedures by using alternatives that create minimal or no water spray whenever possible 
• Provided all team members 2 full days of training on new PPE and protocols to prepare for the reopening
  • N95 masks and face shields are available 
• Reduced surfaces that could become contaminated 
  • Removed any items that are difficult to disinfect from the common areas and treatment rooms
• Introduced fogging machines with HOCl (Hypochlorous Acid) for air sanitation and as an additional disinfectant
• Use of ADS extra-oral suction units in every treatment room to further reduce aerosols 
• This powerful machine removes aerosols almost immediately and has three separate internal HEPA filters and UV-C light. We have one of these units available for every treatment room. We invite you to watch our demo video!
• Optimized our vacuum systems 

We appreciate your support when not visiting us for dental care by continuing to observe local ordinances and social distancing to decrease the spread of COVID-19 in our community. 

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.