Health Safety Protocols

To Our Valued Patients at Surprise Smiles,

Welcome! We are open, looking forward to seeing returning patients, accepting new patients, and operating under normal business hours! The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDS) is still not recommending any type of closures or modification in hours. We will continue to monitor information coming from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and AZDHS and keep you apprised of any changes or updates. We will stay on top of this information and bring it to you as soon as possible through our website, email, and social media.

As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, our dentists and dental team want to assure you that we are continuing to do our best to make sure it a priority that we are following the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC, specifically as they relate to the dental industry. We value keeping our patients and staff members safe and comfortable.

As part of our daily standard health and safety protocols, our office follows ‘Universal Precautions’ in order to protect our patients and our staff. These are precautions we have always taken, and are not new. By taking ‘universal precautions’ means we always assume that anyone could potentially be carrying a contagious and dangerous disease. We therefore follow strict guidelines to prevent the transmission of any potential disease, be it COVID-19 (Coronavirus), hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV, or any other disease. This has been a standard of care we follow, per the CDC, in regard to blood borne pathogens.

These measures include:
• strict hand washing protocols

• use of (single use) disposable protective equipment and barriers

• thorough disinfection of exposed or potentially exposed surfaces after every patient visit

• disinfection and high-heat steam sterilization of instruments and routine monitoring of sterilization verification

• continued education on infection control

Specific to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) we have added in additional precautionary and cleaning measures including:
• disinfecting common surface areas every 30 minutes

• providing hand sanitizer in common areas

• screening everyone who enters our offices based on CDC recommendations

• offering preprocedural mouth rinse

As state and national health and safety regulations change and evolve during these times, Surprise Smiles is dedicated to monitoring and evaluating our dental practice and office space for any potential risks as we serve our patients and community. We strive to maintain an approach to our dentistry services that is both safe and beneficial to everyone we serve.

We strive to provide a safe, healthy, comfortable, and relaxed environment for everyone that comes into our dental office. We follow the American Dental Association’s Update to Office Procedures During COVID-19 in regard to safe office procedures, workplace hazards, and making decisions for best office practices. We stay informed on recent information given to dentists in this regard, as well as keeping up to date with any changes recommended by the CDC.

Please let us know if you have any questions in regard to our health and safety protocols here at Surprise Smiles. We recognize that it can be challenging during these unprecedented times of COVID-19. We all want to get back to our normal lives, and we will be able to do so, in a safe, wise, and healthy manner. We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have in regard to our dental practice health and safety protocols, cleaning, and disinfecting procedures we follow.

Thank you for continuing to be a valued patient here at Bradshaw Family Dental. We look forward to continuing to serve you and your dental needs through the various services we provide for you, from preventive dentistry, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, sedation dentistry, dental implants and more!

What Difference Does Bristle Hardness Have?

Posted on 5/20/2018 by Dr. Andrew Zeiger

Toothbrush Bristles Bradshaw Family Dental AZ 86314

Not all toothbrushes are created equally. While it might seem like it shouldn't matter, there are some toothbrushes that are much better for your teeth and gums than others.

You've probably noticed some toothbrushes that say they have multiple lengths of bristles that are arranged in some unique pattern that makes that particular brush the best. Most of that is simply marketing.

The key to toothbrushes isn't in how the bristles are arranged or even in the lengths of the bristles. Instead, it's in how hard or soft those bristles are.

Why Hard Bristles Aren't the Best

Toothbrushes with hard bristles can irritate your gums and even remove some of the enamel from your teeth. The firmer the bristles are, the more likely it is that they will damage your teeth.

There is a little truth to the fact that harder bristles can remove a little more plaque, but in most cases, the damage they do is definitely not worth it. It's much more important to protect the enamel on your teeth and to make sure you're not hurting your gums.

Softer bristles certainly get the job done. They remove a good amount of plaque, especially if you're using good brushing techniques and brush several times a day.

When combined with flossing and mouthwash, you'll remove a very large amount of plaque and keep your mouth very healthy. Combine that with regular visits to our office for cleanings and checkups, and you'll be fine.

But I Like a Firm Toothbrush!

Some people have always used a toothbrush with hard bristles. If you're one of them, you might find that using a soft brush just doesn't feel right. If that's the case, please talk to us about it the next time you're in.

We can help you find a toothbrush that gets rid of plaque, doesn't hurt your teeth or gums, and feels right for you.

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Bradshaw Family Dental
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Prescott Valley
7136 East Pav Way
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
(928) 277-0076

Prescott
172 E Merritt St.
Suite F
Prescott, Arizona 86301
(928) 443-1200

Dental Blog - Prescott Valley, AZ • Bradshaw Family Dental
Dr. Frausto & Associates are providing this blog to enlighten their patients and the community. At Bradshaw Family Dental our hope is this blog will cover any issues that you and your family may need.
Bradshaw Family Dental, 7136 East Pav Way, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 • (928) 277-0076 • bradshawfamilydental.com • 4/12/2025 • Key Phrases: dentist Prescott Valley •