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Since the first lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 pandemic took place back in March, people have put off getting some of the routine care they need from their doctors and dentist. However, as the pandemic continues and infection cases rise in and around Plano, TX, many patients are finding that some procedures simply can’t wait and doing so could detract from their overall health. NextGen OMS wants patients to know that we’ve always been extremely aware about the risks of infection. In fact our oral surgeon treats infections associated with oral and maxillofacial conditions all the time. But during the pandemic, we’ve necessarily increased our precautions in order to promote safety for our clients, surgeons, and staff.

Covid Safety Precautions

At NexGenOMS, our oral surgeon and staff adhere strictly to guidance and safety updates outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Dental and other medical settings have unique characteristics that require customized infection control solutions. Because we feature advanced care and surgical procedures, we must provide this type of care that is so critical to many patients. In order to provide our care safely, we’ve updated many of our processes in keeping with the CDC and in accordance with best surgical industry practices.

Since the virus primarily spreads between people who are in close contact with one another, we’ve taken steps to minimize contact between patients in order to promote optimum social distancing. This means that we’ve increased space between appointments in order to keep our waiting room and reception area minimally occupied.

While our oral surgeon and staff have always practiced impeccable hygiene, we’ve increased our use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to better protect our patients and one another from infection. For instance, we wear eye-wear in addition to our N95 respirators. Our oral surgeon and support staff are also masked at all times in order to promote safety.

Since Covid-19 is a new virus, researchers are continually learning about its features, how to treat it, and how to keep people as safe as possible. At NextGen OMS, our oral surgeon and medical staff continue to follow this research and will incorporate new updates to our safety protocols as warranted. Here, we always strive to combat infection of one type or another. We will continue to prioritize Covid safety for the foreseeable future.

Surgical Instrument Sterilization

Proper sterilization of equipment and surgical tools has always been a cornerstone of our practice at NextGenOMS. As a leading oral surgery center for Plano, TX, we have embraced the best, more trusted sterilization practices and equipment. Of course, we know that many patients are concerned about our safety practices and it’s our goal to reassure them. We are diligent in our responsibility to sanitize all of our equipment and instruments.

We also feature many disposable medical care supplies that are designed for a single use. For instance, we do not reuse masks, gloves, needles, or syringe tips. In addition, we invest in the most trusted equipment to sterilize the items we do reuse. For instance, our autoclave machine superheats steam in order to kill pathogens like viruses and bacteria that may remain on the surface of instruments. Moreover, we first pre-clean all instruments before placing them in the autoclave for enhanced protection. After we remove the items from the autoclave, we place them in wraps where they will remain in sterile condition and ready for use.

Whether our oral surgeon, Dr. Siavash Siv Eftekhari M.D., DMD, is extracting wisdom teeth or inserting implants into a jawbone, he and the rest of our medical team will provide the utmost care to ensure that all of our instruments are properly sterilized to guard against the spread of any type of infection, including Covid-19.

Sterilizing Office Surfaces

It’s also vital for any medical office to sterilize its surfaces. Naturally, we sanitize any surfaces associated with surgical care, but that’s not all. It’s particularly important to us during this pandemic to disinfect other surfaces such as door handles and light switches and even reception area chair armrests numerous times each day. Patients may note the presence of more plastic barriers than usual. We also sanitize both sides of these surfaces throughout the day along with keyboards, devices, and other items that patients or our staff may come into contact with.

Chairside Suction

When performing any type of oral surgery or maxillofacial procedures our oral surgeon and staff are well aware that germ spread is possible as bioaerosols can become released into the air. Even when no pandemic is present, we are attentive to reducing the risks that bioaerosols can pose in terms of germ spread. Droplets of blood and saliva can contain upwards of 700 types of bacteria. So, we must be faithful in our adherence to best safety standards to prevent bacteria spread.

To that end, our surgical technicians provide chairside suction during surgical procedures. This equipment is completely sterilized for each patient’s use. Our suction devices are essential small vacuums that suck up a substantial amount of bioaerosols that may be released during oral surgery or any other procedure we might be performing. This way, we can stop germs from settling on surfaces like countertops or even moving into other areas of our office.

Of course, the use of suction offers patients many benefits, including:

• Removal of saliva buildup
• Choking prevention
• Airway precaution

If you are concerned about safety when you visit our oral surgery office, please contact us so we can discuss your concerns. Our oral surgeon and support staff take every precaution to keep our patients safe. We also request that any patient running a fever or feeling unwell get a Covid-19 test. Our staff can advise you more fully about personal safety precautions when you call. We understand that this is a challenging time for so many. Like other Texans, Plano residents have not been spared by this pandemic. At NextGen OMS, we will do our utmost to keep you safe while delivering the critical surgical procedures you need. Don’t put off seeing our oral surgeon if you require our medical attention. Putting off treatment may also be a considerable health risk. Call us and let’s discuss your particular medical situation.