Infection Prevention and Control at Our Barrie Office
What we do between patients, how we sterilize instruments, and who is responsible for infection control.
Yonge Forest Dental follows current infection prevention and control (IPAC) guidelines for dental offices. These include standards and recommendations from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), the Ontario Ministry of Health and Public Health. Our clinical team is expected to follow them.
You cannot see most infection control from the dental chair. This page explains what happens behind the scenes, so you know what to expect and what you are welcome to ask about.
Which standards do we follow?
Our infection control procedures follow the guidelines and standards for dental settings set out by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, which regulates dentists in the province, along with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Public Health. These standards set the minimum steps Ontario dental offices must take.
The RCDSO publishes its infection prevention and control standard for dentists, and you can read it on the College's website. The same rules cover hand hygiene, protective equipment, cleaning, sterilization and record keeping. Our team follows those rules at 681 Yonge St where they apply.
What happens between patients?
Between patients, our team cleans and disinfects the treatment room. That includes the dental chair, the counters and the equipment that was touched. Team members clean their hands and change gloves and other protective equipment between patients, as required. Single-use items, used wherever they are indicated, go in the garbage after one use.
Hand hygiene and PPE
Team members clean their hands as the standards require. They wear gloves, masks, eye protection and gowns as each procedure requires.
Single-use items
Items meant for one use, such as disposable covers and tips, are used once and thrown away.
Room cleaning and disinfection
Surfaces in the treatment room are cleaned and disinfected between appointments.
Sharps and biomedical waste
Needles and other sharps go into approved containers. Biomedical waste is handled and disposed of following the rules for health settings.
How do we sterilize dental instruments?
Reusable dental instruments go through four steps before they are used again. First, they are cleaned to remove debris. Next, a team member inspects each one. Then the instruments are sealed in sterilization packages. Last, they are sterilized in our sterilization equipment. Packages stay sealed until the instruments are needed.
Clean
Used instruments are cleaned to remove all visible debris before anything else happens.
Inspect
Each instrument is checked to make sure it is clean and in good working order.
Package
Instruments are sealed in sterilization packages, which keep them sterile until use.
Sterilize
Packages go through a cycle in our sterilization equipment.
How do we know sterilization worked?
Sterilization is monitored as the standards require, so we do not rely on the equipment alone. Mechanical indicators show the time, temperature and pressure of a cycle. Chemical indicators change colour when the right conditions are reached. Biological indicators test whether a cycle kills living spores.
Sterilization records are kept as required, for quality assurance and traceability. Traceability means a package of instruments can be linked back to the cycle that sterilized it. That is how an office knows which instruments to reprocess if an indicator ever shows a problem.
Who is responsible for infection control?
Every clinical team member is responsible for following the infection control protocols as required. Our team receives training and is expected to stay competent in infection prevention, instrument reprocessing and workplace safety.
That shared responsibility matters. Each dentist, hygienist and assistant applies the procedures as required. Our dentists, Dr. Doowon Joo and Dr. Jessica Chau, are registered with the RCDSO, which sets the infection control standard they practise under.
Your questions about infection control
Can I ask to see how instruments are sterilized?
Yes, you are welcome to ask. Our team is happy to explain how instruments are cleaned, packaged and sterilized. If you have a particular health concern, mention it when you book so we can talk it through.
Are the gloves and masks changed for each patient?
Yes. Team members clean their hands and put on fresh gloves between patients, and change other protective equipment as the standards require. Single-use items are discarded after use where indicated.
What if I have a weakened immune system?
Tell us when you book and at your visit. The infection control steps above apply to every patient. Your dentist may also want to know about your health and medications before treatment. Our page on your first appointment explains what health information to bring.
Ready to book your visit?
Request an appointment online or call 249-888-2001.