INFECTION CONTROL

Infection control is the process of protecting patients, as well as the dentists and their staff, against the spread of germs in the office.

The design of GAMA Dental office, the selection of the equipment and dental materials, and the staff procedures that GAMA Dental Clinic established are infection control driven. When you are examined, you will notice that the instruments are individually packed and autoclave sterilized. So are all of our hand instruments for scaling, tooth preparation and filling, periodontal and oral surgery, etc.

GAMA dental uses electric driven handpieces which are more powerful, vibrate less, smoother and gives ultra-quiet operation for a more relaxing experience for you, the dentist, and the staff. All our Handpieces, low and high speed, after each use, are cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning bath and hand-scrubbed, then placed in KAVO Quattrocare, a special cleaning and lubricating machine, that ensure proper cleaning and removal of debris and ensures that handpiece runs smoothly. Each handpieces and other instruments are placed in sterilization bags individually and vacuum suction autoclaved at 135oC (275oF) and 128 KPa [high pressure] for 60 minutes. Even the scrub/polishing wheels used to clean partial and complete dentures and temporary crowns are autoclaved between patients in sterilization bags. Very few things that cannot be autoclaved are soaked in and timed for a good three-hour immersion in a cold sterilization solution. Our office makes extensive use of disposables: patient drapes, air and water tips, saliva ejector, suction tips, syringe tips, anesthetic cartridges, composite compules are all discarded after each use. Masks, gloves and safety glasses are used for patient care at all times. The gloves are often changed several times during treatment, to prevent cross-contamination or if a hole or tear occurs. The operatory room is thoroughly wiped down with a disinfectant between each patient. Attention is paid to all equipment, drawers, light handles, hoses, counter tops and surfaces, etc. that may have been touched during the treatment session. A fresh and new protective barrier is placed on switches, light handles, headrest, x-ray machines.

You may have read in newspapers and magazines that there is a potential hazard of the water quality in dental equipment. The problem arises because of the thin tubing and the low volume of water that is needed for the water spray for both the air/water syringe and for the dental drill handpieces. GAMA Dental has been proactive that each dental unit has an independent water supply. This means no city water is used during the treatment. The water lines are flushed with disinfectant daily to kill the Biofilm bacteria and fungi , and bottled drinking water is used during your treatment.