Top Tips on Maintaining Dental Equipment

Posted by Confidental Equipment on February 10th, 2021

Maintaining, cleaning and sanitising dental equipment is a vital part of a dental practice. It can be time consuming because of the large and varied amount of equipment that needs to be cleaned, serviced, and sterilized between patients to ensure both staff and patient safety.

In a dental practice, its usual to have a dental maintenance checklist, this ensures that all equipment is regularly checked and serviced to keep the practice running reliably, smoothly and all equipment is well maintained.

It also helps to extend the working life of tools and other dental equipment needed to perform the different functions of the dentist

Dental equipment Checklist

Hygiene, patient safety and professional dental care are the first priorities of any dental practice. This starts with maintenance checks on all dental equipment.

There should be daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tasks that need to be performed by staff to ensure the practice runs correctly and meets all the standards and regulations required.

These maintenance and disinfecting tasks need to be performed daily

•        All handpieces and air water syringes need fresh water flushed through them
•        After flushing they should be lubricated and sterilized
•        All operating equipment must be disinfected between patients
•        Handpiece water lines need to be flushed between patients
•        Operatory HVE lines as well as saliva ejector tubings need suction cleaner run through them
•        Delivery unit traps and ultrasonic cleaner need to be cleaned

Sharps containers, infectious and hazardous waste containers need to be replaced

These maintenance and disinfecting tasks need to be performed weekly

•        Taps on delivery unites need to be changed
•        The O rings on all handpiece couplers need to be checked and replaced
•        Handpiece gaskets need to be replaced or checked
•        Every steriliser needs to have a spore test completed
•        Look for any safety hazards in the office or operating areas

These maintenance and disinfecting tasks need to be performed monthly

•        Check the plaster trap by cleaning and/or replacing
•        Check and clean the model trimmer
•        Check and clean the cephalic- panoramic cassettes as well as the intensifying screen
•        Check the emergency oxygen units ensuring they are working and full
•        Check nitrous oxide systems ensuring they are working and full
•        Check the master trap and clean or replace
•        Check all patient monitoring and extra dental equipment to ensure it meets standards and is operating properly

These maintenance tasks need to be performed yearly

•        Check and change door gaskets and cassette seals of sterliser
•        Change oil in compressor
•        Inspect emergency lighting, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
•        Schedule x-ray equipment inspection, calibration and certification
•        Review all emergency procedures

Check the dental equipment maintenance kit

These items should be on hand for emergency repairs and replacements as required during working hours

•        Handpiece - Cleaner, lube, spare chucks, turbines and bur tools
•        Vacuum – line cleaner, intake filter, canisters and traps
•        Light bulbs, curing lights, operatory lights, handpieces
•        Spare gaskets and O rings as needed

Keeping your dental equipment well maintained and serviced is vital, Have regular cleaning sanitising, maintenance and servicing routines for all equipment to ensure a long trouble free service life.