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!

Why You Should Always Avoid Dental Tourism

Posted on 3/10/2020 by Candice

Dental tourism is a recent phenomenon that refers to seeking low-cost dental care in foreign countries by those who are either uninsured or have insufficient dental coverage.

In addition, you can combine getting your dental care with a vacation package to countries like Costa Rica, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand and Argentina.

Why Does Dental Care Cost Less in Other Countries?

Dental care in less developed countries costs less for many reasons. Both real estate and labor cost less in these regions, with dentists having a much lower cost of living. In addition, malpractice insurance is often less expensive compared to US dentists who have to pay a high price for mandatory malpractice insurance.

The Dangers of Dental Tourism

Although finding a price for dental care that you can afford within a vacation package to a tropical paradise might be hard to resist, there are potential risks you take when traveling to another country for dental care. First, dental standards in foreign countries may not meet the mandatory standards that US dentists must meet, including infection control standards. According to the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSA), dentists in some parts of the world may reuse needles or gloves.

In addition, foreign dentists may not speak English fluently, making it easier for their to be communication barriers that skew translation. This means that misunderstandings are likely and can be quite problematic when trying to converse about the important topic of your dental care.

Finally, continuity of care is a valid concern when traveling to another country for dental care. A foreign dentist may not know your full medical history, and aftercare isn't part of the deal unless you make the trip again.

We always strive to provide our patients with the best dental care possible at the lowest price possible. Don't avoid dental care due to lack of coverage. We will work with you to make excellent care at an affordable price a reality.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our Family Cares for Everyone in Your Family

FAMILY GRAPHIC2 Bradshaw Family Dental Dentist Prescott AZ DR Zeiger

Get the Smile You've Always Wanted!
Bradshaw Family Dental
& Smile Design Center

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 / 5/14/2025 / Tags: dentist Prescott Valley /