When a patient comes for their dental cleaning or procedure, they aren’t usually thinking about safety. As the doctor, though, you should be. A dental office can be a very dangerous place if you’re not taking precautions. Here are a few things you may not be thinking about in terms of safety that you should:
Sound
Dental equipment can be noisy and close to a patient’s ears. The high pitches can be uncomfortable for some people with sensitive hearing. One simple thing that can be done is to offer your patients disposable ear plugs or even Bluetooth headsets so they can listen to the radio or a TV program.
Sight
There are a lot of things flying when you’re cleaning out a mouth, grinding a tooth, or even just rinsing out. Flying debris has been known to land across the room or even as close as a few inches north of the mouth near the eyes. There have even been instances where debris landing in a patient’s eyes caused a serious bacterial infection. There’s simply no need to put your patients at risk when there are hygienic, disposable wrap-a-round lenses available from Rollens. Oh, and our disposable sunshades work well to comfort your patients’ eyes while underneath your lamps as well!
Hygiene
We’re going to guess that most dental practices are great with hygiene when it comes to working directly with patients. Disposable gloves, wraps and coverings are common in dentistry today. But what about the door handles, pens, credit card machines and the commonly-touched items around your office? These surfaces can be a breeding ground to spread sickness, especially during flu season. We know the last thing you want is for patients to get sick from coming to your office. We know the last thing you need is for you and your staff to get sick too!
Privacy
It’s easy to get lax with patient records sitting on a front desk, staff talking about a case in the break room, or even posting a patient photo on Facebook. In an age where it’s easier and easier to share information, make sure your staff is on board to protect your patients’ privacy with top priority. It’s worth mentioning and re-mentioning to your staff.
Safety is a big deal, especially when you are working around sharp objects, bodily fluids, germs and a whole host of potential disasters. You do your best to provide safety in the dental chair, but it’s also a good idea to remember those areas that can easily be overlooked around the practice!