Do all dentists practice infection control?
In 1986, less than 30 percent of dentists wore gloves, masks or gowns. Today, these infection-control tools are required in all dental practices. To fight the spread of diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, syphilis and herpes viruses, your dentist has strict procedures and may use a variety of measures to ensure that instruments used during dental procedures are sterile. As an extra precaution, many dentists and their staff are vaccinated for hepatitis B, to prevent them from potentially passing it on to patients. Sterilizing dental instruments, a process that destroys all forms of microbial life, is also an important part of infection control in a dental office. How else does my dentist protect me? When you first sit in the dental chair, chances are the first thing you’ll see is your dentist washing his or her hands. Hands are washed at the start of the day, before putting on and taking off gloves and after touching any potentially contaminated surface. Y
