With recent dental health scares and the clinic closure and suspension of a practitioner in Brisbane, now is the time to review infection control in your practice. How efficient and effective are your current cleaning procedures? How much time is wasted? Are your staff exposed to harmful chemicals?
This following question is important because if things go wrong at your practice, the buck stops with you. Are you certain that each member of your team follows every step of the process with the same care and attention expected?
Cross contamination of instruments is a huge concern. Of equal concern should be the longevity and performance of your equipment, as handpieces and instruments make up one of the largest capital investments within a dental surgery.
Over the past decade, the dental industry has been harping on about class B, or pre-vac sterilisation. We have missed the most important step. While all steps in the process are crucial to effectively reducing potential cross infection, if we are not cleaning thoroughly then the remaining steps are null and void.
With this and the other steps in the process, automation can seriously reduce risk while allowing staff members to concentrate on more important duties like customer service and patient retention. Automation provides an accurate and measured process which will reduce litigation exposure and prolong the life and performance of your dental handpieces / instruments.
As with any addition or alteration within your business, there will be initial financial outlay, but these can be justified when we look at the overall cost and compare them with your current processes. In most circumstances, you will find the automation systems will be far more cost effective and efficient.
Every dental practice can benefit from automation, especially small Surgeries. In most cases, it is either the receptionist or dental nurse running frantically between their primary role and the sterilising room, completing each step in-between answering phones or assisting the surgery. Automation within this environment will free up the time of a staff member to concentrate on their primary role within the business. This will be a great stress reducer and will help improve the patient experience within your surgery.
Want to learn more? We regularly host free information workshops on the processes needed to ensure your surgery is up to date with current standards. Topics include: Cleaning processes, lubrication, basic dental handpiece maintenance, sterilisation, and tracking. Sign up to our mailing list to hear about the next event, or get in touch with us today!
