The cleanliness of your dental practice directly correlates with the health of your patients. Since you put your hands straight into the mouths of patients—albeit gloved—it’s crucial to thoroughly sanitize any surfaces and objects that your hands come in contact with on a daily basis. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has set guidelines for proper sanitation of dental tools and equipment, but taking cleanliness a step further to incorporate the office as a whole can benefit both your staff and patients.

Just as with any place of business, a cleaning service can be hired to do the basics, such as taking out the trash, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms. But you should also train your staff to clean throughout the day as well. Here are some tips to keep your practice sanitary and safe:

• Wash all used linens and towels each night.
• Use liners in all trash bins and disinfect bins monthly.
• Remove dental tools from patient rooms after each appointment and place in an approved location for sterilization.
• Clean equipment with disinfectant at least once daily. This includes x-ray equipment, lead aprons, blood pressure cuffs and any other equipment that is used to treat patients.
• Disinfect surfaces such as countertops, patient chairs, door knobs, pens, computer mice and keyboards, waiting room tables etc. Any area that is touched or handled frequently (or that has come into contact with bodily fluids) should be cleaned daily.
• Tidy the waiting room by removing trash, organizing reading materials and sanitizing any toys that are present for children.

It’s a good idea to wear gloves while performing cleaning tasks, particularly those that involve coming in contact with bodily fluids such as the saliva on used dental instruments. With careful attention placed on sanitization, you can run a healthy and successful dental practice for years to come.

Get the protection you need. Call Sebrite Agency at 800-366-6466 for more information on Hopkins dental practice insurance.