How to Evaluate the Dental Office, the Operator, and the Infection Control Protocol

Evaluating the Dental Office

1. Testimonials and word of mouth is the most important sign to evaluate the clinic you want to attend.
2. Long-term success rates of the treatments done in the clinic.
3. The clinic should have a good filing and documentation system to record the dental condition before and after treatments.
4. The clinic should look clean and smell clean at all times.
5. The clinic should have scheduled appointments.
6. Teamwork is a main factor of a successful clinic because the field of dentistry is full of specialties that no one person could cover thoroughly.

Evaluating the operator

1. The operator should be keen to take a full medical history and dental history of the patient before any dental treatments.
2. Your dentist should be able to show you several pictures of documented cases that he has done of similar cases to your condition.
3. Your dentist should spend all the time possible to explain to you the treatment procedure by the simplest means possible. “If you can’t simplify it enough then you don’t understand it enough.”
4. Your dentist should explain all the pros and cons of different treatment options, and explain to you the postoperative complications that could happen and how to deal with them.
5. The dentist should do all root canal treatments and tooth colored fillings under complete isolation from the patient’s saliva and blood. This is done by placing a squared rubber sheet called a “rubber dam” around the teeth to be treated.
6. Oral and dental diseases and their treatment could be very hard and extremely meticulous because they are difficult to spot by naked eyes.
   To guarantee a thorough treatment, the dentist should use a magnification device that either he/she wears on his/her head which is called “dental loupes”, or use a machine that he/she looks through called “dental microscope.”

Evaluating Infection Control Protocols

1. The operating room should be divided into two zones; contaminated zone and non-contaminated zone.
   The contaminated zone is the zone where the patient has his treatment done and could possibly carry debris of blood and/or saliva. This zone should be thoroughly disinfected after every patient has completed their treatment.
   The non-contaminated zone is the zone that is safe from any infection that could be transmitted through debris of blood and/or saliva.
2. All surfaces in the contaminated zone that either the dentist or his first assistant touch with their gloves during all procedures should be covered by a disposable wrap that is changed between every patient.
3. The dentist should at least have one dental assistant working with him at all times during treatment. But the optimal is having two dental assistants; one always sitting by the patient’s side inside the contaminated zone, and another handling materials and instruments from areas outside the contaminated zone.
   This is important to prevent carrying possible infectious droplets of saliva and/or blood from the contaminated zone to non-contaminated zones. Bacterial and viral infections are usually transmitted when the operator holds the handles of a drawer to bring out something to use with his/her contaminated gloves. The handles of the drawer might be a source of infection either to the upcoming patients or to any staff members.
4. The optimal standards of infection control protocols is having a specialized room just for the sterilization of all instruments. This room, preferably, should have a clear glass window/door to able the patient to see the full sterilization process taking place.
5. Patients do have the right to ask their dentist about the type of sterilization machines and protocols he/she uses in his/her practice. Googling the brand name of the machines will give the patient a rough idea about the sterilization standards of the clinic.