Visiting the hygienist for regular dental cleaning is as essential to healthy teeth and gums as brushing and flossing at home. It helps to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, staining, plaque build-up, and bad breath. However, effective cleaning of your teeth is only possible in a clean dental surgery. But what should you as a service user be looking for at your dental practice, and how important is each factor in making your dental surgery a safe and effective place to be?
First and most obviously, a dental practice should be clean of all visible dirt, and be tidy and pleasant to be in. Floors should be swept and mopped at least once a day, and other surfaces should ideally be wiped down between patients in treatment rooms, and once a day in reception areas. As part of our cleaning checklist, Cotswold Gleam Team will ensure all of these are cleaned as per the agreed rota, and deep cleaning also takes place of other areas where build up of dirt and grime can become problematic.
Another useful check is whether leaflets, posters, and other patient notices are out of date. We expect magazines in waiting rooms to be a few months behind, but anything tatty or torn should be disposed of.
1. Infection Control
Post-Covid, we’re all more conscious of where bacteria and viruses might be lurking. Obviously, dental equipment should be properly sterilised between each use to prevent spread of infection, but the dental practice should also have diligent personal protective equipment (PPE) measures in place, including gloves, aprons, masks, and eyewear. The sterilisation area for equipment should also be separate from any equipment that might be subject to cross-contamination.
Many dental surgeries are still operating a policy of using hand gel when entering the premises, and of having screens at the reception desk to protect administration staff – Covid aside, sensible measures to limit transfer of viruses and bacteria.
We can help by making sure any sanitising stations are kept topped up on a regular basis and giving your patients peace of mind.
2. Staff training
Well-trained staff are also essential to keep a dental practice running smoothly. Just as a dentist and dental hygienist will have the knowledge to keep a patient’s mouth healthy, and to sterilise equipment properly, backroom staff and any contract cleaners should be properly trained and instructed in how to deep clean areas of the dental practice throughout the day as well as after closing. This should include disposal of clinical waste, which may require special collection or disposal.
At Cotswold Gleam Team, we offer CQC compliant medical sector cleaning. This means our trained and experienced cleaners will make sure your dental practice complies with CQC’s monitoring system. With our professional cleaners thoroughly performing the correct daily cleaning practices, we can maintain strict hygiene standards that avoid cross-contamination.
Up to date equipment and technology is also essential in terms of minimising both the transfer of infection and the time spent cleaning and sterilising. Advanced technologies such as digital x-rays and intraoral cameras can help diagnose issues more quickly and effectively.
3. First impressions
The cleanliness of a dental practice waiting area isn’t as crucial as the sterile requirements of the dental equipment, but shabby chairs, scuffed floors and dead plants can be as off-putting as evidence of the previous patient’s fillings or extraction when you enter the treatment room. If a dental practice is lax about maintaining the waiting room, what are they missing in areas where cleaning is even more important? Additionally, if they don’t care about where the patients are waiting, will they care about their comfort in the chair?
We understand that a clean dental practice is important for making sure your patients are kept as safe as possible, as well as leaving a great first impression to new individuals that register with your practice. This why we will personally visit your premises to assess your requirements and provide a tailored quote that will keep it sparkling clean every week.
4. Transparency
Most importantly, a dental practice should be open and transparent about their cleaning policy – a patient shouldn’t have to ask for this information, it should be freely offered, and even laid out on the surgery’s website for patients to read. Videos showing how dental instruments are cleaned are not only reassuring, they’re informative. The medical waste disposal policy should also be available for patients to see, and know that it is processed responsibly.
We can assist with this by suggesting positions for bins, signage, and other relevant information, and advise on best practices for disposing of waste.
In short, a clean dental practice isn’t just about encouraging patients to keep their own teeth and gums healthy. In a world where we’re all now more knowledgeable about infection and cleanliness than we were a few short years ago, seeing the cleaning policy and process clearly laid out is essential to keeping patients happy and to the smooth running of the surgery.
Contact us today on 01993 252575 for more on how we can help keep your dental practice clean, and practical advice on processes that can aid with patient safety and information. Alternatively, please email us at: info@cotswoldgleamteam.co.uk.