When you think about health care settings, such as hospitals, but even just outpatient or dental ones, it is natural to expect a higher level of cleanliness and hygiene if compared with other places.
This high standard concerns various aspects: not only tools and staff with whom patients come into contact, but also premises in general, with their furnishings and equipment. It is also necessary to consider the fact that places like these see the passage of many users on the same day: both in the waiting rooms and in the clinics and therefore on tables and chairs where healthcare treatments actually take place.
The high level of attention to hygiene and cleanliness has to be an ongoing priority, to avoid the transmission of infections or diseases in places that are more vulnerable than others to this kind of risk. Currently though, this problem acquires greater relevance in relation to the emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Actually, the law now prescribes to adopt a whole series of supplementary requirements that are added to the ordinary ones, already envisaged for these sectors.
Hygiene is the greatest weapon we have in the fight against Covid-19
As we have learned well in recent months, hygiene is indeed one of the greatest tools we have at our disposal in the fight against Covid-19. A good level of attention to this aspect also works well to stop all other viral diseases, and not only. How many times in the past have we heard recommendations on how to properly wash our hands in order to limit the spread of seasonal flu? If there is a positive thing that perhaps we will collectively draw from the Coronavirus experience, it might be this new awareness and a durable learning of correct habits.
The obligations we must follow to limit contagion are based on three basic rules: social distancing, wearing masks to cover nose and mouth, a good and frequent hand hygiene and the sanitization of surfaces and everything that can potentially come into contact with mucous membranes.
In relation to the latter aspect, it is therefore necessary to implement specific strategies for sanitizing environments and surfaces. “Sanitize” is a purposely more specific word than “clean” or “disinfect” precisely because it implies a series of peculiar characteristics, which are different from simply removing surface dirt. It is obvious, on the other hand, that superficial cleaning must precede any disinfection procedure.
The final goal of obtaining safe environments and surfaces, meaning free of dirt, bacteria and pathogens, is in fact a path made up of various stages, each one of which requires specific procedures that vary according to what is being sanitized, the purpose of use and the specific area involved. Besides procedures, suitable products specifically dedicated to this purpose are needed, with the goal to be also environmentally friendly. Over time, in fact, more and more attention to sustainability and the impact of ecological footprint is growing, also in the field of cleaning, hygiene and sanitizing products available in the market.
In the case of clinics and dental practices, furthermore, not only the starting situation must be safe, but an adequate level of security must be maintained at all times during the day, especially during delicate activities. That’s why, today more than ever, medical and support team must wear adequate personal protective equipment.
The use of personal protective equipment
In general, the acronym PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) identifies any device intended to protect the user against health or safety risks, at work or in other circumstances. There are, for example, safety devices designed specifically for sports equipment or for recreational activities. In some cases the law states both when these devices must be used and the standards they must meet in order to be fully suitable for their task.
Medical and health field falls fully in this category, for various reasons. This is true ordinarily, as we said, but becomes even more important in relation to measures to fight Covid-19.
In this field, a distinction can then be introduced with “Medical devices”, aimed at the purpose of diagnosis, disease prevention, control and therapy. Some equipment can therefore have a dual purpose: protecting both professionals and patients, functioning as PPE and medical devices.
Beyond regulatory distinctions, which carry a whole series of consequences on the criteria to be met, the main devices in use in medical and dental practices are: surgical masks, FFP2 and FFP3 masks, face shields and glasses, protective clothing, disposable gowns, caps, gloves and shoe covers.
In addition to guarantees of certified origin, these tools must be used properly, following the correct instructions, to avoid contaminations that may partially or totally weaken their effectiveness. They also must be disposed of in an appropriate manner, following the rules related to the type of waste classified as “special”. Moreover, as is always the case with the area of workplace safety, these matters require an overall risk assessment and adequate training for the personnel, both on general principles and on rules and recommendations related to their specific duties, with precise responsibilities and roles.
Taking care of its customers’ needs has always been Tecnodent’s main challenge. In the time of Covid-19 Tecnodent worked to offer to its customers the possibility of equipping themselves with professional protection devices developed by Polaroid, allowing them to combine safety, protection and product quality, without overlooking the aesthetic impact of the design.
Alongside these classic devices, the purpose of limiting the spread of Covid-19 has created a whole different set of rules and needs. Waiting rooms, for example, currently must be more aseptic to avoid unnecessary contact of several people with the same things (for example, magazines and children’s toys must be removed), and information signs and hand sanitizer dispensers must be present. These places should also obviously be cleaned and ventilated frequently.
Then, if we take into consideration the clinics and the rooms where doctors and dentists actually treat patients, we can immediately understand how the need for sanitation and attention to hygiene increases even more, starting with dental chairs and medical stools that are used daily and therefore can always be potentially contaminated by doctors, staff and patients.
How to properly clean and sanitize dental and medical stools and chairs
It’s easy to understand how largely safety for patients and staff depends on cleaning and sanitizing dental / medical chairs and stools. Obviously, a fundamental part in this is played by the correct choice of cleaning, hygiene and sanitizing products and their proper use in terms of procedures and frequency.
In this regard, Tecnodent recommends using only alcohol-free products, based for example on quaternary ammonium salts, dipotassium peroxide etc., for cleaning and sanitizing its range of medical stools and chairs.
However, it is also the design of this equipment that can make a difference, facilitating or making it more complicated to sanitize a medical or a dental office, and thus affecting the possibility to achieve high hygiene standards.
For its medical / dental chairs and stools, Tecnodent use antifungal and antimicrobial fabric, seamless moulded upholsteries and provides features to enhance freehand movements. Details and measures that are specially designed with the aims of hygiene and safety. Every single product, moreover, undergoes strict quality inspection during each specific production phase. A further guarantee of the achievement of high standards regarding this and all others point of view.
