As always, we will do everything possible to provide you with the highest standard of care while maximising your protection. It is important that you are well informed regarding standard procedures performed in our office, and we welcome any questions you may have. Your peace of mind about your dental practitioners is a priority.

We are all concerned about disease transmission. Since your health and safety are our utmost concern, this office conforms to all current standards and guidelines concerning patient protection. All metal instruments and handpieces (drills) are cleaned and steam-heat sterilised between each patient. Each patient is provided with their own individually wrapped sterile instrument pack. The entire treatment room is cleaned and disinfected after each patient visit. Our staff is continually being trained in these procedures and we monitor changes in Occupational Health and Safety, and Infection Control regulations so that our office will continue to meet or exceed federal and state regulations.

We are committed to providing you with a safe environment and as part of our commitment to patient education, we thought that some information about our sterilisation procedures may be of interest to you. Sterilisation is a high priority in our office, and we exceed the highest standards.

Each one of our instruments and hand pieces undergo thorough sterilisation, as well as a process called "autoclaving" which uses steam heat and pressure. For quality assurance purposes, our autoclave device is checked daily to verify proper sterilisation. We use the following steps to achieve the most thorough and complete sterilisation.

• Barrier controls: We follow the standard of the National Medical Research Council. Our staff wear new masks, new gloves and protective eye wear for each patient.
  
  
• Sealed autoclave bags: Instruments and dental handpieces (drills) are enclosed with temperature/time sensitive paper which changes color when sterilisation is achieved with colour indicator to verify sterilisation.
  
  
• Disposables: Using disposable items whenever possible also helps us to provide you with the highest quality of care. All syringe needles, unit dose anesthetics and suction tips are disposed of immediately after each individual patient procedure.
  
  
• Dental equipment: Our dental equipment does not retract fluids. This system uses filters to ensure fresh, non-contaminated water. Waste materials are thoughtfully collected and disposed of, complying with government guidelines for contaminated waste and chemical pollutants.
  
  
• Disinfectants: All disinfectants are approved by the Australian Dental Association for the counters and other surfaces.

As always, we are committed to providing you with the highest quality of care. Additionally, conforming to the highest standards of sterilisation is just part of our commitment to serving you. If you have any questions or would like a tour of our sterilisation area, please do not hesitate to ask.