Cliff's Notes

Dental Operatory Equipment “In The Long Run”

Dental operatory equipment is very expensive and understanding what causes breakdowns is an important part of maintenance and work flow. The task of maintaining working assets in a dental office is usually entrusted to a team member (Dental Assistant) and never thought of again until something breaks. But, what caused the down time and can it be avoided in the future? Proper maintenance will cost a few dollars but will dramatically increase the life span. It starts with quality.

Quality Lasts … I have been in the dental industry all of my life and I have seen so much come and go but quality lasts. Today I still see 30 year old Midwest Quiet Air handpieces still in operation. 25 year old Adec Mini-Troll delivery systems & Belmont 071-A X-rays are still working everyday. Why is a $5000.00 chair better than a $3500.00 chair? It’s quality and life expectancy. So, what can be done to maximize your investment? Disinfectants can be a big part of the problem.

Disinfectants … Infection control protocol requires all operatory equipment be cleaned and disinfected after each patient. The chemicals used in the sprays and wipes are made to kill things and are not kind to plastic, metal, circuitry and upholstery. Did you ever notice a yellowing effect on your equipment? Disinfectants need to dry on a surface to be effective and the vapor in the air settles on everything. After repeated use these chemicals will reduce the life expectancy of all equipment especially lower quality items. You can’t prevent it but you can maximize the time line.

Chairs & Stools … Every dental chair manufacture recommends that nothing but soap and water be used to clean patient chairs and stools immediately after use.. That’s not practical because of the time it would take to turn over a room. Sprays and wipes are used to for faster turn around, but the chemicals involved will deteriorate the equipment over time. There are several products on the market that now address the issue of upholstery and plastics yellowing such as Optimum 33TB by Sican or CaviWipes1 by Kavo Kerr. However, barriers are the best. There are barriers for everything but Cover Film should be used every where. Use cover film on the chair switches to protect liquids and vapers to settle on circuitry. Use a full chair cover (my favorite is Slip-N-Grip by Kavo Kerr) to prevent excessive ware, especially when the weather is bad. And at the end of the day clean the upholstery with soap & water or even better, Chair-Guard by Palmero Sales. Chair-Guard will protect the upholstery against disinfectants but it has to be used everyday and it does have an odder so end of the day use is recommended.

Delivery Systems … Internal and external maintenance is required if you want to protect the tubes, valves and blocks from corrosive agents. If you choose to use wipes, the same ones used on chairs and counters will work but lower quality plastics may yellow. Internally you should be using inline biofilm filters and utilizing a handpiece purge. Handpieces have drive air & exhaust lines. Excess lubricant will expel through the exhaust and build up on the inside of the tubing that will lead to replacement. An external system will reduce the vapor and also increase the life of the handpiece. All handpieces should be removed from the room before clean-up. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

January 17, 2019 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized