There’s nothing like a freshly-cleaned dental office. In fact, every dental office should be freshly cleaned, in our opinion.
That’s because just like any other medical office, a dental office’s cleanliness is directly linked to positive patient outcomes. Maintaining a properly-cleaned dental office starts at the most important place in a dentist’s office—the patient’s mouth.
Properly-Cleaned Tools
The first and foremost concern for any dentist who wants to keep a clean office is maintaining the proper regimens for cleaning tools, and using clean disposables.
Gloves are the first consideration. Dentists should always use disposable gloves whenever handling a patient’s care, And, as is proper technique, gloves should be replaced as frequently as needed.
A fresh pair should be put on right before an examination starts. Then, whenever your dentist touches any other surface but your mouth, a new pair should be put on.
Masks are next. When your mouth is being examined or operated on, your dentist should use a new disposable mask to avoid any bacteria from his or her mouth reaching yours. This is especially crucial when conducting surgery as there is always a heightened risk of infection.
The tools used for both common and surgical dental procedures are next. Before and after each patient a dentist’s tools should undergo complete sterilization. The mouth is a haven for bacteria, and even with simple cleanings a dentist is digging through bacteria-ridden plaque and gums.
Finally, the chair and operating surfaces must be completely cleaned and sterilized. Bacteria can travel and grow across surfaces, so even an unclean chair can potentially lead to reinfection of a patient.
The Operating Room
Just like a dentist’s tools, where they do their work should be kept impeccably clean and sterilized.
The risk of bacteria becoming airborne is always at hand, meaning that just simply sweeping the floors in an operating room is not enough. Sanitizer must be used on all surfaces, and after each and every patient a good dentist or dental assistant will conduct a proper and complete cleaning of the entire room in which examinations, surgeries, and any other dental procedures happen.
The Waiting Room
A dental office’s waiting room must be kept completely clean, for both the same reasons as the operating room, and for a few different reasons.
Patients go to a dentist expecting the office to be completely clean. A clean waiting room will keep patients at ease as this indicates the likelihood of a safe and comfortable dental visit is very high. Patients who are nervous about the cleanliness of their dental office will almost always have a bad experience, no matter how well your work is.
Receptionist’s Desk
Keeping the receptionist’s desk clean is important for different reasons than the rest of the office.
As a rule, every surface in a dental office in and outside of the operating room should be sanitized often. But, along with other cleanliness practices the receptionist desk must be kept clean because of the constant exchange of patient files and records. At any given time, a dental office manager should expect that only what records for the patient at hand are available. Everything else must be put away in its rightful place to maintain an easy workflow, and to ensure that sensitive patient information is not lost.
Immunization
The health of a dental office’s staff is paramount. While it’s always good practice to never go to work sick, in a dental office this is even more crucial as you risk infecting people who might be at a higher risk due to surgery and bacteria build-up from conditions like gingivitis.
Staff should also be expected to keep up with all immunizations and vaccines to ensure they don’t bring potentially harmful pathogens into a medically-sensitive environment.
Water Quality
Water used in a dental office must be kept at the highest standards of purity. It’s helpful to think of water used in the office just like any other dental tool—dirty water will lead to infection and negative patient outcomes.
Cleanliness at Hitek
At Hitek Dental, we take cleanliness seriously.
Our business is delivering the best-possible dental care to Australians each and every day, and to fulfill that promise we maintain the highest possible standard of sterilization, infection control, and disposal of single-use materials and tools.
If you need high-quality dental care in the cleanest office you’ve ever seen, contact us today to schedule an appointment!