Here’s the transcript from Dr. Dan’s recent interview on Nothing But the Tooth.
(Noah) Noah here from “Nothing but the Tooth” and I’m visiting today with Dr. Dan Kobi, at his spa-inspired dental practice, Care Dental in Kelowna, BC. Dr. Dan its always great to see you, tell us what you’ve been up to lately!
(Dr. Dan) Thanks Noah! It’s been busy times here at Care Dental and we’ve come up with a really cool way to even better meet our vision of being the dentist that both our patients and team look forward to safely visiting!
(Noah) That sounds great Dan, tell us more!
(Dr. Dan) Well, we’ve invested, re-engineered and renovated and I’m very proud to announce that as of today Care Dental is the first dental practice in BC to meet the Canadian Standards Agency Health Care Facilities specification for airborne infection and isolation rooms. That’s a mouthful though, let me show you how it works!
In the Operatory…
(Dr. Dan) When COVID-19 approached we quickly looked to the Canadian Standards Agency, Advanced Canadian Hospitals and Health Canada to learn how they control the dangerous aerosolized pathogens that are created during medical and dental procedures.
A lot of people aren’t aware, but when at the dentist, many procedures take saliva that’s in your mouth, as well as any virus or germ that’s there too, and turn it into a very small particle, called an aerosol, ejecting it out into the room.
This aerosol now floats around the entire practice for a couple of hours, taking the bug with it, landing on surfaces, and people, creating a risk of transmission, and generally causing a commotion!
(Noah) Yuck! That’s especially worrisome in the context of COVID-19 no?
(Dr. Dan) You better believe it! So we took the guidance of those organizations I mentioned before and we created airborne infection isolation zones within the practice. In simple term, we forcefully drive curtains of air down from the roof to the floor, all around the patient and clinicians. This creates a containment zone, a bubble of sorts, all around the operatory, which keeps any aerosolized pathogens that have been created during the procedure from going off, exploring the practice and infecting everyone. Then, at the same time we use negative pressure intakes to remove the contained particles from the op, sterilize them with filters and UVC light, and then safely exhaust them to the outside. Each of these operatories gets all the air changed out a minimum of 12 times per hour! We’ve created these airborne infection isolation zones not just in our clinical spaces, but in every area of the practice, even the welcome lounge, and team lunchrooms, so that our patients and team are protected all of the time, from the moment we welcome them, to the moment they go home to their families.
(Noah) That’s super cool Dr. Dan, a big investment I’d bet, but you’re always telling me that you can’t put a price on safety or health, right?
(Dr. Dan) That’s right Noah!
(Noah) Thanks Dr. Dan, let’s ask some of your team how they feel about it!
Back in Welcome Lounge…
(Noah) Hi Allie, Dr. Dan has just been explaining the airborne infection isolation zones that you’ve built for us here at Care Dental. What’s your take on all of this?
(Allie) Thanks for asking Noah, and I’ve got to tell you, I am just so proud to be part of a pioneering organization like Care Dental.
Did you know that working in a dental practice is considered “high-risk” due to the consistent exposure to airborne pathogens like influenza, mercury, volatile organic compounds, and now COVID-19?
(Noah) No I didn’t! That’s concerning!
(Allie) It sure is Noah, but right now, Care Dental’s CSA spec’d Airborne Infection Isolation Operatories allow us to address and mitigate those risks, protecting us and our patients while we responsibly provide care. In my mind its valuable not just during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but all the time, every day, as it protects our team, our patients, and our families all year round. Flu season, subsequent “waves”, mercury amalgam removal, none of that is going away ever and now, when I’m having fun working here at Care Dental, I can quite literally breathe easy.
Noah out front of Care Dental…
(Noah) Well folks, you heard it first on Nothing But the Tooth News Check out Care Dental at www.caredental.ca to learn more!