Serious Infection Control Concerns
Dear Doctors, I am currently in the middle of dental treatment and deeply concerned about the safety of all patients at this clinic. We simply trust our dentists without doubt assuming they provide the best care. However, I've genuinely observed that this dentist does not keep even a 5-min gap between patients and fails to change or sterilize handpieces. While he disposes syringes and gloves, the handpiece remains attached to the chair is used on consecutive patients without being autoclaved. During treatment, I observed him touching patients mouth and then handling the headlight and other surfaces with contaminated gloves, with no sanitization between sessions. When I shared my concerns, he claimed he was "following protocols." but contradicts streralization guidelines and I am worried due to this negligence. Is it ever acceptable to use handpieces without heat sterilization? Is a five-minute turnaround sufficient for safety? Thank you for your guidance.
