“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
-Charles Darwin
Infection control has always been a priority for us at Smile Dental and Orthodontic Clinic. You must have observed the strict protocols followed by us and our staff members during your treatment visits.
In these challenging times of the COVID-19 outbreak , we had to close our clinic from 18th March – 30th May during lockdown.
We have reopened both our clinics since 1st June 2020 to serve you in a better and safer way.
Trust us at Smile Dental and Orthodontic Clinic to adapt to the need of changing times. We have always brought to you the latest technological advancements – be it the dental microscope for treating complicated root canals or using Invisalign or clear aligners to straighten teeth without braces.
So when this coronavirus pandemic put our practice through challenging times, we must admit it wasn’t easy, but only few things came to our rescue :
- Protocols which we were already following –
- All treatments performed only on appointment basis with a dedicated time slot.
- Meticulous sterilisation protocols.
- Single visit root canal treatments to reduce number of appointments.
- Use of dental dam .
- NEW standard operating protocols (SOP) –
The SOP starts even before a patient enters the clinic.
- Every patients is asked to fill an online google form which has questions asking the patient’s medical history, etc. The patient is also sent a set of instructions to follow, e.g. – to avoid crowding in the waiting area, waiting in their vehicle till the clinic is sanitised and ready, etc. For further details please click here for patient instructions list and google form .
- Temperature checks performed on all doctors and staff members at the start of each session. Temperature of each patient checked with a non-contact infrared thermometer before he /she enters the clinic. In case of increased temperature, patient/staff/doctor will not be allowed to enter the clinic.
Rules are rules and they are common for all be it doctor, patient or staff. Because safety starts from home first.
- Sufficient time between each patients to allow adequate time for cleaning the operatory area of the clinic. Sanitization of floor and other contact surfaces with EPA approved disinfectants.
- Every patient uses a foot pedal operated sanitizer to disinfect their hands, he/she is given a head cap, a new mask (if he/she doesn’t have one) and a shoe cover.
- All doctors and operatory assistants wear a N95 mask , a surgical mask, eye protection (goggles, protective eyewear with solid side shields, and a full-face shield), and a gown (peronal protective equipment, PPE) during dental procedures.
- Both clinics have been decluttered to facilitate sanitization of the clinic after each patient.
- The HEPA air filtration unit is our new guest – Atmosphere Mini (UK allergy foundation certified). The use of these units reduces the particle count (including droplets) in the room.
- All the biomedical waste is safely packed and disposed safely as per the local biomedical waste processing guidelines.
The above protocols have been implemented at our clinic as per directed by Indian Dental Association (IDA), Indian Endodontic Society (IES), Center of Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) and Guidelines for dental professionals by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, (MOHFW).
So, at your next visit with us, you can expect a lot of changes. The preparation was extensive involving reading the relevant research literature related to covid -19, putting it into practice by making checklists for infection control, staff training, purchasing new equipment with appropriate certifications, PPEs and dental consumables .All of this to make sure that there is no cross contamination and to make our practice corona virus safe.
We also understand that the current pandemic situation is unpredictable and we are regularly updating our knowledge by reading the latest research articles on SARS CoV-2 to make sure our infection control practices remain up to date with the latest protocols as updated by the above mentioned authorities . it’s a continuous process and we are doing all it takes!
We at Smile Dental and Orthodontic Clinic are ready to be your dental health partner in these testing times.
See you soon.