* Check the office. The whole place should be neat and tidy. This is a good indication of how seriously your dentists takes hygiene. It’s difficult to keep a cluttered space sterile.
* Look for carpeting. Rugs can’t be sterilized - it should be hospital-grade linoleum.
* Count the soap dispensers. They should be all over the place and the staff should be using them in front of you.
* Watch the gloves. Your dentist’s gloves should be coming out of a glove dispenser, not off the top of an unsterilized surface. Once they’re on, your dentists should only touch sterile instruments and your mouth with those gloves. If he or she leaves the room, that warrants a new pair.
* Check the instruments. Your dentist should be unwrapping a sealed bag of instruments in front of you. The sealed bag indicates that the instruments have been sterilized.
Dr. Burhenne says don’t hesitate to ask your dentist about cross-contamination prevention. A good dentist puts a lot of effort and money into sterilization procedures and will appreciate the opportunity to brag about it.
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