Dental Office Maintenance Tips
Maintaining and running a successful dental practice includes many components and aspects. Often times, it can be easy to overlook the small, or even large, preventative maintenance practices. Skipping maintenance on any piece of equipment can result in unplanned downtime and additional expenses when something breaks down.
Use this common and simple list as a starting point, and add items relevant to your specific equipment.
Daily Maintenance Tips:
Clean all vacuum lines and solids collectors in each operatory (cleaners, filters and accessories)
Remove burs, clean and lubricate prophy angles and contra angles
Check solution or water in sterilizer
Turn off nitrous oxide and oxygen tanks
Turn off vacuum and compressor
Clean nitrous oxide nasal inhaler hoods after every use (do not use alcohol)
Make sure tubing of Cavitron is not kinked
Turn off main water valves (solenoid) at night to prevent possible flooding
Monthly Maintenance Tips:
Check nitrous oxide safety level indicators
Check nitrous oxide unit, lines, hoses, and masks for leakage
Check air pressure to all handpieces
Clean panoramic cassettes with intensifying screen cleaner
Check sterilizer with a sterilization monitor
Check master water filter element
Clean / replace plaster trap
Semi-Annual Maintenance Tips:
Replace the coalescing and intake filters on air compressor
Lubricate all moving parts of dental lights and dental chairs
Check mercury vapor safety levels
Annual Maintenance Tips:
Have X-Ray equipment inspected. Most states require an EPE (Equipment Performance Evaluation)
Schedule preventative maintenance check on all equipment that has not already been serviced
Dental Office Maintenance Tips