Running a dental office takes a lot of work, and whether it’s a private practice or part of a dental service organization (DSO), finding ways to save time, maximize efficiency, and see more patients is a universal objective. Although all practices are different and face unique challenges, one common issue is optimal instrument management.
You wake up. You stumble downstairs. You start the coffee. You feed the dog. You glance at your email on your smartphone. You’ve acted out this routine so many times, you could do it with your eyes closed (well, maybe not that last part about checking your phone).
The sterilizer is a key component of any dental practice’s infection prevention procedures. After cleaning instruments to remove any residues or heavy contamination using other tools, such as automatic cleaners, it’s the sterilizer that does the heavy lifting of neutralizing infectious microorganisms and readying instruments for recirculation.
For decades, dental professionals have known microorganisms were colonizing the waterlines of their dental units. Ample evidence shows the narrow tubing, low flow rates, and frequent stagnation periods found in water delivery systems create the ideal metropolis for biofilms. These slimy mats of bacteria cling to the walls of the plastic tubes, sloughing off countless individual organisms into the water as it passes by.
Ask any dentist about their infection prevention program, and they’re likely to express confidence that they’re fully compliant with all relevant regulations. But is that really the case? The slow drip of infection prevention breach stories making news around the country would suggest that compliance is more of an issue than some would like to admit.
By Emme Sanders, RDH with Inspired Hygiene
What would you do with five extra minutes per procedure in your dental practice?
Instruments must be properly taken care of if they are to function as they were intended, for as long as they were intended. A safe and efficient cleaning process will protect the investment you’ve made in high-quality dental instruments.
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