BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — As Middle Tennessee dental offices reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, some are using this time to ramp up their safety measures.
Nashville Dentistry in Brentwood bought a few machines to make sure the office is extra clean.
"The biggest thing we've implemented is the clorox 360 electrostatic machine," said Dr. Ashish Patel.
Dr. Patel says he ordered the machine as soon as the COVID-19 shutdown began.
It has a two minute kill time for bacteria in the air, on surfaces and electronics. They use it after every patient
"The thing that is unique about it is it negatively charges the solution which allows us to drape surfaces," Dr. Patel said, "it makes it easier for my team members to disinfect the room. We've always done the spray, wipe, spray technique but this is in addition to that and ensures we capture every surface to keep ourselves safe, employees safe, and patients safe"
These additional cleaning procedures are costly but Dr. Patel says its worth it, especially if it puts the staff and customers at ease. The clorox machine costs more than $5,000.
While some offices charge patients an extra fee to offset their PPE costs, Nashville Dentistry does not. Dr. Patel does see this being the new normal for a few more months.
