We all visit clinics and hospitals during the course of our lives and if there was anywhere that hygiene is critical, it would be in a dental clinic or hospital. Of course, personal hygiene is important for all of us and when you are scheduled to have treatment at your local dental clinic or hospital, it is even more important to protect yourself against potential infection. 

Healthcare professionals

Whenever you are examined or treated by a healthcare professional; in a dental clinic, even the hygienist would wear dental gloves as she works, as germs and viruses can remain on human skin or indeed any surface for quite some time. The gloves are removed and disposed of after a single use, therefore a dental clinic would have a large stock of latex powder-free gloves and dozens of pairs would be used daily.

Risk of infection

Once you get to the sub-atomic level, it is a completely different world and we are only just beginning to get a basic understanding of particles, quarks and neutrinos. In this microscopic world, tiny viruses and bacteria can move around and usually can be passed from person to person, which is why we need to take precautions.

Are face masks a good idea

After the pandemic, evidence showed that wearing a cloth face mask made zero difference in terms of your chances of contracting the virus. That said, there are times when it is a good idea to wear a face mask; if, for example, you have a cold, wearing a face mask can reduce the risk of transmission to those around you. Another time to wear a mask is when there is air pollution; the rush hour traffic kicks out very harmful toxins and any barrier helps.

Strict protocols

As you would expect in any medical facility, there are many rules that must be followed by staff, regular hand washing is part of the culture and that even includes admin staff. The building is deep cleaned very often by a team of professional medical cleaners that use powerful agents to exterminate pathogens; next time you visit the A&E at your local hospital, take note of the chemical smell that exudes from the building. 

Dealing with sickness

Take a large hospital for example, a massive complex that houses patients with many different ailments, which means there is a high level of bugs and viruses in the environment. Special air purifiers are used to clean the air and you might notice cleaning staff who are always working in one area of the complex. There could be as many as 4 full-time teams that are dedicated to keeping the hospital as clean as possible.

To summarise, the medical sector places high priority on hygiene in every aspect of management and when you next visit, take note of the precautions you can see.