Keeping a dental office clean, efficient, and functioning to the best of its ability is a huge undertaking. At Limestone Dentistry, we ensure that our state-of-the-art practice stays in tip-top shape so you can enjoy a relaxing and productive appointment when you come to visit us. Wondering how we do that? Here are a few things that go on behind the scenes to keep our well-oiled machine running.
Tool Inspections & Cleanings
Everything starts with the tools we use on a daily basis. Equipment like mouth mirrors, scalers, handpieces, and dental burs are inspected each day for any signs of wear and tear. Any instruments that are used are first put through an ultrasonic cleaner to remove any biological debris. Afterwards, they are rinsed with water and sealed in hospital-grade packaging.
These bagged tools are then placed in our Autoclave. This machine uses high pressure steam to thoroughly sterilize every part of equipment. This ensures all bacteria, viruses, and germs are 100% removed. During the first cycle of every morning, we place a test strip into the autoclave to ensure it is working properly. Once a month, we submit spore testing to the renowned sterilizer monitoring program from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry for extra assurance.
Checking for Crystal Clean Water
Have you ever thought about how much water is used during a typical dental visit? We closely follow the American Dental Association’s guidelines for maintaining water quality. The waterlines are regularly tested and treated to clean, disinfect, and prevent biofilm buildup. We even pretreat our water lines with tablets to ensure only the cleanest water is used in our practice.
Calibrating Systems & Machines
While equipment like the autoclave and X-ray machines are cleaned daily, we also test them weekly to ensure they are still operating properly. Additionally, we inspect and clean our HVAC systems on a weekly basis to maintain air quality. These vital pieces of equipment are essential for keeping our office running, so we regularly ensure they’re in tip-top shape as well!
A Variety of Team Member Trainings
The heart and soul of any well-maintained dental office is its staff. All of our team members take yearly OSHA trainings to ensure the safest, most effective use of our office. In fact, any time there are new procedures, protocols, or safety measures implemented, our team is trained on it right away! Not only that, but our staff undergoes bi-annual CPR training. Outside of office hours our staff complete numerous CE courses to stay current on the latest dental advancements.
Keeping Up to Date with the Latest Professional Guidelines
We are committed to keeping our finger on the pulse of safety and efficiency. That’s why we regularly review the latest professional guidelines from organizations like the American Dental Association (ADA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Whenever a new best practice is announced, we take the time to learn about it and incorporate it into our office.
These are just a few things on our dental office maintenance checklist. We follow a detailed list of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly protocols to ensure our office is at its best every time you visit us. To learn more, feel free to ask us about it at your next checkup!
About the Practice
At Limestone Dentistry, we are proud to provide quality, down-to-earth dental care for families in Jeffersonville and the surrounding communities. Dr. Eric Thornton and our entire staff go above and beyond every day to ensure our patients enjoy a safe, clean, and beautiful dental office during their visits. From veneers and dental implants, to dentistry for the whole family, we look forward to meeting all of your oral healthcare needs. To learn more about what makes our office tick, feel free to visit our website or call us at (812) 288-9300.