Fewer and fewer dentists run their own practices nowadays. If you’re one of the lucky ones who do, then you’ll know it’s hard work running a practice and maintaining its great condition as well.
Seeing as dentistry is your passion, you should be focused on that, not on the headaches of coordinating appointments for contractors to fix leaks and holes. To help you out, here are 8 building maintenance tips for your dental office. By following these tips, not only will your dental practice look immaculate, but it’ll also run much more smoothly.
1. Deep Clean Your Practice
Hygiene is extremely important, as you’re dealing with the mouth and open wounds at times. It’s not enough to clean and sanitize the working areas, such as patient chairs and dental tray holders; you have to deep clean the entire practice to make it a healthier space.
Your dental practice needs to be sanitized not just for your patients’ benefit, but also for yours and your employees’. Lower the chances of infections and spread of workplace illnesses by hiring a cleaning company to deep clean your building every once in a while.
2. Ensure You’re Following OSHA and CDC Guidelines
Not only should you deep clean your dental practice, but you should continually ensure you’re following OSHA and CDC guidelines for proper cleaning and disinfecting. The best way to go about this is to hire a professional cleaning service, as they understand and frequently carry out industry standards.
Not only will this investment lower the chances of infection, but it’ll also lower the chances of cross-contamination. You’ll be able to give your patients the best care possible in a clean practice.
3. Reorganize the Reception Area
In their downtime, have your receptionist declutter the reception area. This is the space your patients first see when they walk in the door, so make sure it looks spotless and organized.
If you have furniture there, have it regularly cleaned, especially if there are stains from younger patients. You should also get bookcases to store books and magazines so they’re not all strewn across the coffee table. When your patients see an immaculate reception area, it can put their minds at ease and reduce any anxiety they may have surrounding their appointment.
4. Keep the Bathroom Stocked and Cleaned
This is an area in your building where there’s the most spread of germs and bacteria. At the beginning of every day, check that toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and other supplies are completely filled. Also,
It’s also good to regularly perform upkeep on your bathroom to fit the overall standard of your practice. While the rest of your building may look spotless, an unclean bathroom can immediately mar the impression your patients have of your practice. Make sure their overall opinion is positive by paying attention to how your bathroom is maintained.
5. Pay Attention to Your Floors
While the weather’s good, you won’t have to worry about anything much besides sweeping and mopping. But if your town’s struck with bad weather, your employees and patients may track in unsavory things, such as water, dirt, grime, and leaves.
All of the above can be real hazards, so add both exterior floor mats and indoor ones. All visitors can then thoroughly stamp and wipe off their shoes before coming into the practice. This can heavily decrease the number of nasty things being tracked inside.
6. Check All Things Electrical
Dental offices use a lot of electrical appliances and equipment; you don’t want to overload the circuit and bring your dental practice to a standstill. Every few months or so, do a run-through of everything that’s plugged in to make sure they’re in good condition.
You also want to test your smoke detectors and backup generators if you have any. You want your practice to be prepared in case of emergencies.
7. Clean out Your HVAC System
Over time, your HVAC system will get a buildup of dirt, dust, and allergens. Not only can this make it less effective, but it can make your HVAC system work harder as well. Unnecessary wear and tear can take years off its lifespan.
When you’re doing a deep clean of the office, make sure to cover your HVAC unit. Clean or swap out the air filters to regulate temperatures better and to help everyone breathe easier.
8. Don’t Neglect the Roofing
You may be concentrated on all other parts of maintenance for your building, so either you forget about the roofing or don’t have enough in your budget for it. But the roof is just important as the other parts of your property, if not more. Without proper maintenance, it can leak or even collapse.
Make sure you have a professional come take a look at your dental practice’s roofing every once in a while to make sure things are ok. That way, they can catch problems while they’re small and quickly fix them before they become larger, more expensive, and more of a hazard. Find out more about the consequences of putting off commercial roof repairs from HP Roofing Pro.
Use These Building Maintenance Tips to Offer Better Services to Your Patients
By implementing these building maintenance tips from us, you can save yourself some money and trouble in the long run. This will enable you to allocate more money and resources towards providing your patients with the quality care and services they need.
Remember, the key to proper maintenance of your building is prevention and proactiveness. Not only should you have professional contractors check out every aspect of your property, but you should also call them as soon as you notice something’s wrong. Waiting can prolong the issue and cause more damage.
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