The Mystery of The Dental Office Smell

If someone were to blindfold you and lead you into a dental office, we bet you’d be able to guess where you are simply by the smell. You know what we mean. The crisp, clean, sanitized aroma of dental offices is incredibly distinguishable, but what makes it smell that way? At our dental office in West Caldwell, we’d like to reveal the mystery of the dental office scent.

The Odor-Causing Suspects

Dental Materials

Many of the standard materials used in modern dentistry have a funky smell. Acrylic, for example, is used in a wide variety of dental procedures like the construction of temporary crowns and dentures. Acrylic has a very distinct smell which, when merged with the other aspects of a dental office, contributes to the overall scent.

Sanitation Products

Your West Caldwell dentist takes sanitation very seriously, and the products we use to make sure everything in the office is germ free have strong aromas. Everything from the antibacterial soaps, disinfecting wipes, and gloves, to the high-pressure/high-heat sanitation ovens and the Glutaraldehyde (which is used to sanitize tools that can’t be heat-sterilized), all of the products used in infection control have fairly strong odors. However, we much prefer the fragrance of these crucial components of a dental office than the alternative of an unclean office.

Dental Procedures

Certain dental procedures carry smells of their own. Tooth dust, which is a common term used to describe the smell during a filling, crown, or other procedure, is a very unique odor that can permeate the air and linger around. Many dentists reduce this smell by using a lot of water and having the dental assistant use a vacuum during the procedure.

We always follow strict sanitation standards at our West Caldwell dental office and welcome you to come experience it for yourself. Just call for your appointment today. We’d love to see you!

Accepting patients from West Caldwell, Fairfield, Roseland, and nearby neighborhoods.