Social distancing, face coverings, and clean hands are the three main ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintaining clean hands is especially important for individuals in medical settings, including your dental implant dentist’s team. How are they making sure that their hands are absolutely clean when you come in for your appointment? In this post, we’ll discuss some of the rigorous hygiene standards that they adhere to.
Handwashing and Gloves
Your dental team washes their hands often, including when they are preparing to see you, after your appointment, and after they contact any bodily fluids. They also always use proper technique when they are washing their hands. They:
- Wash for at least 20 seconds
- Make sure to scrub all areas of their hands
- Dry their hands with a paper towel or air dryer
After they finish washing, they don gloves to create a barrier between you and their hands.
Nail Care
Long nails and artificial nails might have a certain aesthetic appeal, but they can easily become a gathering area for bacteria and soil. Plus, long nails can make it difficult to put on gloves or even compromise the gloves’ structural integrity. Your dental team keeps their fingernails short enough that they are easy to clean beneath, and they do not wear gel or acrylic nails. Additionally, they ensure that their natural nails do not have any sharp edges that might accidentally puncture their gloves.
Also, while there is no evidence to suggest that freshly applied nail polish increases the amount of bacteria on hands, chipped nail polish can cause problems. Bacteria can sneak into the tiny spaces where the polish has lifted up. Therefore, your dental team refrains from wearing nail polish while they are working.
Jewelry
As beautiful as jewelry is, it can interfere with hand hygiene. For example, a diamond ring might puncture a glove, or a ring with lots prongs to keep stones in place could gather bacteria beneath the prongs. Watches too can collect debris around the battery cover or between the links. Your dental team recognizes these dangers and leaves their hand and wrist jewelry at home.
Skin Care
Your dental team washes their hands many times each day. The continual rubbing and exposure to soap and water can take a toll on their skin. That is why they diligent about keeping their hands moisturized with the use of unscented creams. Doing so reduces the risk that their skin will crack, bleed, and potentially expose you to their dead skin cells or bodily fluids.
Hand hygiene is key to fighting the spread of COVID-19. You can be confident that your dental team’s hands are as free of bacteria and other contaminants as possible.
About the Author
Dr. Steve Koo is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has well over 10 years of experience. He and the entire Piney Point Dental Implant Center team are dedicated to protecting our patients and the community at large from COVID-19. To learn more about our safety protocols or our services, contact us at 713-597-7340.