Dental Procedures and Safety
At Wetherill Family Dentistry, patient safety is always a top priority, and our team follows stringent sterilization and sanitation protocols. There are many ways our dental team keeps you safe and a few ways you can help them with this essential task.
The Importance of Physical Examinations
You’ll receive a brief physical examination of your teeth, mouth, and gums before most dental work is done. A physical exam will look for broken teeth, decay, cuts, sores, and other issues to see if your mouth is healthy enough for the planned procedure.
Revealing Your Full Medical History
Revealing your complete medical history is essential to staying safe. We won’t judge you for certain lifestyle choices and will make you feel comfortable regardless. We’re also bound by law not to disclose personal health information.
Certain procedures (especially those requiring anesthesia) may not be safe for some people. In other cases, certain lifestyle choices or health problems may require additional monitoring during the procedure.
For example, you’ll want to tell our dentist if you have unmanaged diabetes, heart disease, contagious blood disease, or a bleeding disorder. You’ll also want to be honest about smoking, drug, or alcohol use, whether current or in the past. If you’re currently using recreational drugs, some anesthesia could cause potentially life-threatening problems. We should know any daily medications you take, including vitamins or supplements.
Please make us aware of any artificial joints you may have, as you may be asked to pre-medicate with an antibiotic before any dental procedures.
Minimizing Allergic Reactions
Allergic reactions range from mild to life-threatening. Dr. Wetherill will need to know if you’re allergic to latex or any medications, or if you’ve had a reaction to any anesthesia in the past.
Monitoring
Our dental team will monitor you during all procedures at Wetherill Family Dentistry. If you feel uncomfortable for any reason, be sure to tell them.
Sterilization and Sanitation
All the dental instruments and equipment used at our office are thoroughly sterilized between patients to prevent the spread of germs and diseases. Certain tools and items are used only once. Dr. Wetherill and staff wash their hands thoroughly between patients and between procedural steps as necessary. Patient safety is our top priority, and sterilization is our protocol.
Following Instructions
You will always be given after-care instructions to follow when leaving our office. You must follow these instructions exactly. This is especially important if you’ve undergone any surgical procedure, such as a tooth extraction. The after-care instructions will help minimize the risk of complications such as infection, excess bleeding, and dry socket, among others.
Your Dentist Takes Many Patient Safety Steps
The patient safety procedures followed at Wetherill Family Dentistry, coupled with your adherence to any after-care instructions, will help ensure that you have the safest possible visit to our office. If you have any concerns regarding your safety during a dental procedure, please contact our office today.
