Tooth brushing station in Orthodontic practices

[Kylie Robb]

Hi Everyone,

Lately we’ve been noticing orthodontic practices (dental specialist practices that straighten teeth with braces etc.) have installed a tooth brushing station close to the waiting room – the idea is to encourage patients to clean their teeth before their appointment. Usually this area comprises of at least one or two sinks and a mirror.

This is where it gets interesting. In some instances, we have noticed a communal toothpaste, usually the ones that stand up and the patients use their own personal toothbrush over the dispenser part and then brush away. They also spit and rinse into the basin after brushing and splash water everywhere. Some Ortho practices are seeing up to 90 patients a day with a lot of them brushing before they are seen.

Other practices provide a new toothbrush and sample toothpaste for each patient – as they can see an obvious issue with the above scenario – but that has a high cost element with supplying a new toothbrush to 90 odd patients everyday.

I’m interested to know what best practice for this scenario might look like? What are the infection control problems with this situation, when it’s not part of the clinical environment – or is it? Obviously the communal toothpaste is a problem, but what about spitting in this basin? Should a practice have to clean it 90 x a day (which I’ve been told is simply not an option as it would mean someone standing there all day to clean this basin).

It’s a strange one as these sinks are not designated handwashing sinks – yet they’re treated like a spittoon – which needs to be cleaned after each patient use (if it was attached to a dental chair for example) – if the sinks were removed and they just went to the practice bathroom instead, what would the difference be?

I would be interested to hear your feedback.

Kylie

Kylie Robb
Practice Services Manager
MHSM (Clinical Leadership) CICP-P
Australian Dental Association NSW Branch
Level 1, 1 Atchison Street, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065
t: 02 8436 9936 m: 0438 628 664
E: kylie.robb@adansw.com.au | W: http://www.adansw.com.au

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