ITC PART 4

setting up & cleaning a dental unit, dental charting

which member of the dental team usually sets up the dental unit

the dental nurse

if the set up dental unit is not working, what procedures should be checked (3)

• the compressor/ suction unit is switched on

• the dental chair is switched on at the wall and the base of the chair

• the electrical equipment i.e. low level sockets are switched on

what are other important procedures that dental nurses carry out (5)

• the sink taps are run for a period of 5 minutes to help prevent legionella, this is then recorded in the legionella file once a week

• all surfaces/ chair etc. are wiped down with Tristel Fuse;

• the water bottle for chair must be filled with filtered water and add an ADEC tablet to bottle

• water needs to be run through the water lines of the chair i.e. 3 in 1/ spittoon/ cup fill/ hand piece leads for 2 minutes at the beginning of a session

• the dental unit then should be set up with the relevant equipment and materials required for the individual patient

what is the procedure for setting up a dental unit

• wash hands effectively with hot water

• put a plastic apron on along with visor + gloves

• put 2L tablet into 2L bottle w filtered water in it

• slide bottle into underside on left of unit where the dot is

• switch dental unit on: chair isolator switch

• turn bracket table onto 1

• move chair down using pedal or control panel

• press the buttons on either side of table on the handles to move table out of the way

what is the procedure for setting up a dental unit for a patient examination

• put tray liners on the bracket table

• put first instrument tip in and tighten it 

• put sleeve on instrument

• put cotton rolls + patient glasses on bracket table

• open the restorative universal examination kit - comes with STERIS stickers to put in patient’s notes for traceability 

• drop instruments on tray liner - do not need yellow plastic tag

• check STERIS checklist and fill in pre-op bit

• dental mirror, straight probe, UNC 50, college tweezers, wide bore aspirator

• connect aspirator on aspirator tubing (first instrument on nurse side)

what is the procedure for clearing a dental unit after an appointment

• discard paper ketchup container and cotton wool rolls

• take the 3-in-1 sleeve off and take tip off

• put glasses next to sink (dirty area)

• take the used aspirator off 

• put all instruments in restorative universal examination kit back into the kit (put probe in probe protector - normally only on straight probe)

• fill in post op bit on STERIS checklist and put it into the packet

• remove the dirty tray liners

• put restorative universal examination kit into BLUE STERIS box

• discard gloves

what is the procedure for wiping down the dental unit

Tristel Fuse made weekly, lasts a day

• start using cloth on light handles then the lens of light then the switch 

• clean the bracket table on top and underneath

• clean the control panel then its handles 

• clean each instrument and its tube and inside where the instrument sits

• headrest, backrest, armrests (top and bottom), main sitting area of chair 

• back of headrest

• clean the lines on the nurse’s side

• go around the chair and the sink area

• clean inside of sink - wet it first with tap water then clean spittoon out w cloth

• remove gloves with cloth inside and throw in bin under sink

• wash hands - can do a quicker technique 

dental charting form