The health and safety of our patients and our employees is our number one priority
At Western Smiles Dental Care, we have always taken infection control very seriously. Our principal dentist Dr Peter Duke has a long history of high-level interest in this field and is well know by the profession as he has been a past and is the current chair of the Australian Dental Association WA branch infection control committee.
You can be reassured and feel confident that you are in safe hands and a safe environment when you visit us. We always adopt the following Standard Precautions, even in non-COVID times. As an Australian Accredited Dental Practice, we have been audited by QIP in many areas of quality assurance including Infection Control. We strive to not only meet all standards, but also to exceed these standards to provide the highest level of care and safety that we can.
Our highly trained staff are very familiar with all aspects of instrumentation processing and sterilisation, environmental cleaning, Australian Dental Association, Dental Board, State, and Federal Health Department and AHPRA guidelines. All our staff are fully vaccinated against COVID 19, and other transmissible diseases that can be immunised against. We hold regular fortnightly staff meetings to conduct training, ensure team alliance, and address any challenges that have been presented.
- Our sterilisation department run daily validation tests on our Steam Autoclaves and ultrasonic cleaning machines prior to the start of day. They also run through a start and end of day tick list of all key processing stages, and an end-of-day audit is performed on each instrument load.
- The autoclave sterilisers are maintained weekly and serviced and certified annually in accordance with the manufacture’s guidelines
- Our dental clinic always maintains the highest cleanliness and sterilisation standards using TGA approved Hospital Grade detergents and disinfectants and/or disposable barriers.
- All instruments are sterilised in-between patient use, in accordance with Australian Dental Association guidelines. Each autoclave cycle is validated and tracked.
- Many of our instruments and supplies are designed for single us, and once used they are disposed of immediately.
- Common areas like reception desks, high touch zones including door handles, telephones, EFTPOS machines and consultation areas are cleaned and disinfected regularly throughout the day.
- A high standard of hand hygiene is practiced using TGA hospital Grade products, following Hand Hygiene Australia and WHO guidelines.
In these COVID times additional Transmission Based Precautions are adopted, as COVID 19 may be transmitted by contact, droplet or airborne particles:
- Screening of all patients, workers, and visitors for clinical and exposure risks
- QR code scanning/contact register on entry
- Social distancing policy (as directed by WA Health department)
- Use of hand sanitiser by patients prior to entry, and during the patient journey through the practice
- Increased cleaning and disinfection of high touched areas
- Pre procedural mouth rinses
- Use of validated high volume suction and rubber dam
- Air quality monitoring and improvement, with outdoor fresh air ducted flushing system in each clinical room. Use of Aranet4 CO2 monitors in each room
- Radic8 VirusKiller indoor airflow decontaminator
- Increased use of PPE appropriate to risk including use of disposable gowns, face shields, P2/N95 respirators
- Adoption of Australian Dental Association Risk management principles for dentistry during COVID 19, and following guidelines issued by WA Health and Federal Health department