Every year, millions of Americans make their semi-annual trek to the dentist, sitting for routine cleanings, cavity repairs, and more complex procedures to maintain their oral health and keep their smiles bright.
Meanwhile, germs are lurking on every surface.
A lot of germs.
Like many medical settings, dental offices are teeming with microbial contamination from various sources, including saliva, blood, and dental materials.
According to one study of dental clinics, “all surfaces located in all departments were contaminated with bacteria.” Most commonly, clinics were infected with species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Micrococcus.
The cause is simple. Several studies have found a widespread microbial community in the mouths of dental patients. Spit, splashes, and aerosols transport bacteria throughout the dental setting, often with far more extensive contamination than expected.
Patients are not ignorant of these realities. One patient survey found that, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 95 percent of dental patients became “significantly more demanding of hygiene at the dentist’s office.”
The solution is cheaper, more convenient, and more impactful than you might realize.
Hypochlorous acid as a Surface Disinfectant Solution
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a powerful but often overlooked pH-neutral disinfectant capable of killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Discovered nearly two centuries ago by French chemist Antoine Jerome Balard when he mixed mercury oxide and water into chlorine gas, HOCl is now widely used across industries as a cost-efficient way to maintain cleanliness standards without compromising people’s health or damaging physical surfaces, including:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved HOCl for food products, including meat, fruits, and vegetables, and food-contact surfaces, utensils, and other equipment.
- The FDA approved HOCl for numerous therapeutic support and infection treatment solutions.
- The USDA approved HOCl as a food sanitizer and water treatment solution.
- The Department of Agriculture approved HOCl for use in the National Organic Program.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved HOCl as a food sanitizer and water treatment solution.
Its efficacy is evident. HOCl is the most powerful oxidant in the chlorine family, outperforming chlorine or hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners across various metrics. Specifically, HOCl is:
- 80x-100x more effective than bleach
- pH neutral = won’t damage surfaces and equipment
- Nontoxic, safe, gentle on surfaces
- Neutral charge: does not repel bacteria but it attracts them
- Zero bacterial resistance
- Environmentally safe, naturally occurring
Taken together, HOCl offers a revolutionary approach to dental office disinfection, presenting several benefits that decision-makers can’t ignore.
The Benefits of Disinfecting Dental Spaces with HOCl
For dental providers, fogging solutions that leverage HOCl can bring advanced disinfection to every patient and care provider, ensuring a consistently clean environment by reaching all surfaces, reducing cross-contamination risks, and enhancing overall infection control with minimal effort.
Specifically, dental services providers can expect:
#1 Better Disinfection Outcomes
Manual cleaning is the primary disinfection method in most dental settings. However, time-consuming efforts are often ineffective.
An analysis by The American Journal of Infection Control concludes, “Over the past 4 years, 8 studies using direct covert observation or a fluorescent targeting method have confirmed that only 40% of near patient surfaces are being cleaned in accordance with existing hospital policies.”
Dental offices are not hospitals but they face many of the same operational realities and healthcare outcomes.
When manual disinfection methods don’t work, dental staff are merely moving pathogens around, undermining patient health outcomes, productivity metrics, and the overall trust and confidence that patients have in the quality and safety of the care they receive.
#2 Happier Employees
Dental office staff is already overworked without worrying about combating an invisible enemy.
Fogging solutions that leverage HOCl simplify the disinfection process while improving outcomes, allowing employees to be more efficient, productive, and focused on providing high-quality care for every patient.
At the same time, when employees know that effective disinfection practices are in place, they feel more secure in their work environment, which leads to lower stress levels and increased job satisfaction.
#3 Patient Satisfaction
Patients are more conscious than ever about hygiene and infection control. When practices implement HOCl disinfection products, dental care providers demonstrate their commitment to patient health.
It’s a tangible way to build patient trust, ensure satisfaction, and prevent patient turnover.
When patients know your practices care about advanced disinfection, they are more likely to return for regular appointments and recommend the practice to others, driving both patient loyalty and growth.
Nevoa Makes Disinfection Simple
Nevoa’s Stratus with Microburst is a proprietary HOCl solution that reduces the risk of infections in just two minutes. It’s a revolutionary disinfection solution for dental practices.
This ultra-low-volume fogger offers comprehensive coverage in just one minute, making advanced disinfection simple and accessible.
Keep your practice from falling behind in the new era of dental hygiene. Contact Nevoa today to learn how their HOCl-based disinfection system can transform your dental office by protecting both your patients and employees.