WHY A CLEAN DENTAL OFFICE MATTERS TO YOUR PATIENTS

All healthcare facilities must be kept clean at all times, including dental office cleaning services. If dental offices fail to focus on cleanliness, then they may unintentionally turn away patients and staff – and risk the health and safety of those individuals as well.

I would never accept that kind of behavior for any business, let alone a dental practice. If patients observe a practice that isn’t committed to keeping the space clean and safe, they will look elsewhere for their dental care needs. They may also share negative reviews online, either directly with others or with other businesses – both of which are real dangers to a business.

Dental practice owners and managers should commit themselves to assure a quality patient experience rather than take a lackadaisical approach. It is not only rewarding for your practice to have such a solution, but it also keeps patients coming back.

This article explains what can be done to maintain a cleaner dental practice, as well as why it is important.

INFECTION CONTROL IN DENTAL PRACTICES

You may increase the risk of individuals in your facility becoming infected with bloodborne pathogens if your dental practice does not pay attention to office cleanliness. In order to meet this requirement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets industry standards for dental practice cleaning activities.

Following are some examples of the mandatory practices that dentists must follow:

Cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces that have been in contact with blood, saliva, or other dangerous materials is necessary in addition to cleaning or decontaminating the equipment.

Whenever a process has been finished or a potentially infectious material has been spilled, it is necessary to disinfect the area.

How do you determine which disinfectant is appropriate? There is a list provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. Patients and employees at dental practices will be protected from infections and diseases with these disinfectants. Most of these cleaners must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a hospital disinfectant, which is recommended to be used in cleaning any surface that has come into contact with a patient.

SAFELY CLEAN UP CHEMICAL SPILLS

Another common occurrence in dentist offices is chemical spills. Cleanup of these hazardous chemicals should be done as soon as possible and correctly, especially when they are hazardous.

Typical hazardous chemicals used in these practices include the disinfectants that were just discussed. Additionally, anesthetic agents and alcohol are also commonly used. To ensure the safe handling of these chemicals, OSHA has established standards. Employees should be trained in how to safely clean up chemical spills, as well as communicating about spills and procedures.

Those disinfectants that have just been discussed are among the hazardous chemicals used in these practices. Other compounds such as anesthetics and alcohol are also frequently used. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards are in place to ensure safe handling of these chemicals. A chemical spill response training program should be provided for employees. Employees should be trained to clean up spills and communicate about spills and procedures.

It is important to train employees on how to properly ventilate the area during the cleanup, as well as what protective equipment to wear, like gloves, masks, and goggles.

EQUIPMENT AND SURFACE AREAS NEED TO BE CLEANED ACCORDING TO STANDARDS

There are other frequently touched surfaces that need to be cleaned as well. We have discussed how to clean surfaces that come into contact with patients.

Cleaning light switches and handles is recommended for dental workers and patients who touch them often. These types of surfaces should be cleaned with the same chemicals that are used to clean surfaces that come into contact with patients and patient materials.

Other dental practices may choose to use impermeable barriers to protect surfaces after each patient instead of cleaning after each patient. The barriers must be thrown away after every patient if they are being used.

Anything considered a housekeeping surface should also be kept clean at all times. Examples include walls, floors, and sinks. In spite of not being frequently in contact with patients during procedures, these surfaces still have the potential to be contaminated, so they must be cleaned as thoroughly as any other surface on the dental office cleaning services.

You should regularly clean your office so that you can reduce the chances that employees and patients will come into contact with infectious materials. Maintaining a clean practice can also enhance the perception of your practice among patients.

USE THE RIGHT CLEANING TOOLS

Getting a good, deep clean requires the right cleaning tools. Prepare your office with the tools and equipment you will need to clean up chemicals and complete other housekeeping duties.

These same tools can also become contaminated, so they will also need to be cleaned after usage and then allowed to dry completely. Keeping mops clean may require daily laundering, as some equipment, such as mop heads, need to be cleaned daily. The disposal of other equipment, like disposable towels with disinfectants, is extremely easy.

If you need new cleaning supplies and tools, make sure someone in the office is tracking them and ordering them.

HAVE A WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

As dental offices generate a lot of waste, your facility will need a waste management plan instead of just cleaning up.

There are a number of waste types that can be problematic, including dental amalgam waste, sharps, pharmaceuticals, and x-rays. There are generally best practices for handling, disposing, or recycling each type of waste, and often there are EPA regulations.

To stay compliant with government regulations in the dental industry, you should partner with a comprehensive solution provider. Equinox Cleaning has been providing dental professionals with these products for more than 15 years.

Call Equinox Cleaning today to learn more about upcoming regulatory changes that could affect your practice. We can help you stay compliant and free you up to focus on helping your patients.

We strive to be the most respected and the leading provider of contract cleaning services and facilities support services in New Jersey by our clients, employees, and the industry. Looking after people is important to us.