Although the transmission of infections in dental settings is rare, there’s no reason for dental offices to skip out on implementing basic infection control best practices. A single case of infection can lead to malpractice lawsuits that are costly, time consuming and leave a very bad public image for any business. The good news is that basic infection control runs alongside common cleaning practices, and keeping your dental office clean leads to more customers, fewer hazards for employees and greater patient satisfaction.

Follow these infection control best practices to keep your office and treatment areas free of hazardous bacteria.

Dispose of Gloves Immediately

It’s no surprise that a person’s hands are the top transmitters of bacteria and pathogens, which is why every dentist knows to use gloves when treating patients. But what happens after your hands come out of a patient’s mouth? What do you touch before discarding the gloves? It is a light switch? A tabletop? Some other surface in the treatment area? As soon as you are finished, the gloves should be discarded into the trash immediately. Treat them as if they are carrying something hazardous, and use new gloves if you have to go back in and examine a patient again.

Gloves are cheap, so use and discard them immediately.

Train Employees in Infection Control

Is every employee in your office knowledgeable about how to prevent the spread of infections and how to clean hazards? Everyone, from dental hygienists to front office staff should possess a knowledge of how to create and maintain a sterile environment, and these best practices should be reviewed every so often to reinforce their importance and refresh everyone’s memories.

Invest in Easy to Clean Surfaces

Modern healthcare settings are incorporating more stylistics room shapes, furniture and surfaces that help them stand out, but overly stylistic rooms can be hard to clean and disinfect. When there are a lot of nooks and crevices on surfaces, bacteria can get into them and cultivate. While you can make your space a unique one, invest in furniture that is easy to clean. Everything from your countertops to your floors and dental chair, and dental chair accessories should be easy to clean.

Looking for an easy to clean dental headrest for your facility? Crescent Products are covered in medical-grade materials that easily wipe clean with common disinfectants. Shop Today.