Are you washing your hands at the right times?

The health benefits of proper handwashing are impressive! You can reduce your chances of getting sick by anywhere from 20% to 58% just by washing up. However, there are some situations in which handwashing is especially important for protecting your immune system and preventing illness.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Take a minute to wash your hands before or after these occasions.

The purpose of washing your hands is to reduce or eliminate harmful germs that may be on your skin after touching contaminated surfaces. By doing this you’ll reduce your chances of getting sick and help protect those around you as well.

With that in mind, here are a few examples of when you should definitely wash your hands:

• Before and after eating or opening a new beverage
• After using the restroom or after any other bathroom-related activity (e.g., a diaper change)
• After returning home from running errands or touching public surfaces
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick or injured
• After handling animals, animal feed, or animal waste
• After touching any sort of garbage, including trash and recycling bins
• After touching high-traffic surfaces, like doors or light switches

To further protect your health, it’s also important to wash your hands before and after:

• Touching your face or nose, even if you feel perfectly healthy
• Blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing
• Touching your mask or other facial covering

Keep in mind that hand sanitizer can be used when soap and water aren’t available. However, proper handwashing is recommended as soon as possible after interacting with contaminated surfaces.

When it’s time to wash your hands, follow these steps.

In addition to washing at the right times, you also want to be sure you follow proper handwashing protocol.

These are the five steps to effective handwashing as directed by the CDC:

1. Completely wet your hands with clean cold or warm water.
2. Apply your favorite soap. (Even plain soap is equally effective as antibacterial.)
3. Work the soap into a lather and scrub your hands for 20 seconds.
4. Rinse off your hands in running water to wash away the soap and bacteria.
5. Dry off your hands with a clean towel or disposable towel, or let them air dry.

When using hand sanitizer you should apply liberally, rub your hands for 20 seconds, and allow any remaining sanitizer to air dry.

Millennium Dental provides patients with a hygienic dental care environment.

Your health is our greatest priority—and that isn’t limited to your smile. To protect the health and safety of our staff and our patients, we go above and beyond to provide a sanitary, hygienic environment. At Millennium Dental, you can rest assured that your visit will be a great experience.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a visit, please give our office a call or fill out this online form today.