Delivering exceptional dental care relies on a coordinated effort from various professionals. From in-practice clinical and support team members to dental plan providers, software developers and equipment suppliers, each has a role to play in ensuring a high-quality, seamless and comfortable patient experience.
Whether your practice is upgrading its infection control workflow to meet best practice guidelines, replacing old equipment or looking to maintain existing equipment for years to come, it’s important to work with a professional partner that can be trusted. Any product malfunctions, breakdowns or inefficiencies can lead to practice downtime, costing time and money while causing stress. Preventing these situations – and resolving them as quickly as possible – is, therefore, crucial.
Quality comes first
The most important factor to consider is the quality of the equipment a provider offers. Reliability isn’t optional in the dental setting, meaning you need consistent solutions you can trust to operate efficiently, day in, day out. You also need them to withstand the rigours of daily life in the practice, be robust and last for years to deliver long-term value and maximise your return on investment.
Beyond this, it’s important to find a provider of equipment that is designed to promote workflow efficiency. Features such as automatic data recording and intuitive user interfaces can prove beneficial. The team has a number of tasks to perform every day, so streamlining the decontamination process will free up time for them to focus on their patients instead of admin.
Compliance expertise and understanding
Alongside exceptional product knowledge, you need your equipment provider to have an up-to-date understanding of the regulations governing infection control in the dental practice. They should be fluent in HTM 01-05[i] (England and Wales) and SHTM 01-05[ii] (Scotland) regulations to ensure that any advice or recommendations they make to your practice will facilitate adherence to the guidelines.
This knowledge can help ensure that you always remain CQC/Practice Inspection Compliant, minimising the risk of a last-minute panic should an inspection notification be received. A proactive and knowledgeable provider will help you identify areas of improvement and then support you while you implement changes.
Practice team training
Leading decontamination equipment suppliers want to help practices make the most of their solutions. They help dental professionals achieve this by delivering comprehensive team training upon equipment installation, showing staff how to use, maintain and troubleshoot the equipment safely and effectively. Offering additional value, some will even make this training session Enhanced CPD-accredited, helping professionals increase their CPD in essential topics while improving overall practice efficiency as well as patient and staff safety.
Support when you need it most
The maintenance and servicing offered by the organisation you choose should optimise product life while also keeping your practice running smoothly. The engineers you work with should be knowledgeable about the specific models in your practice and provide original manufacturer’s parts in order to make any minor repairs before larger issues develop.
More than this, however, the support team should be rapid in their response to your queries to ensure that you are not left on your own. You need to be confident that sending your equipment provider a message won’t leave you on unread for days – that could cost your business and your patients considerably! Instead, prioritise suppliers that give access to continuous telephone support, remote services and fast on-site visits when required.
Working with an organisation like Eschmann affords all of this and more. Known as an expert in decontamination, Eschmann provides a range of industry-leading infection control equipment that is supported by a comprehensive maintenance service offering you can rely on. The Care & Cover package includes unlimited breakdown cover, Annual Validation and PSSR Certification, unlimited original manufacturer parts, Enhanced CPD user training, rapid telephone support and on-site services from a nationwide team of 50+ Eschmann-trained engineers.
The right decontamination partner
Effective infection control is the foundation of safety within the dental practice. The standard of your equipment and protocols, as well as the efficiency of your workflow, will depend heavily on the provider you choose to work with. Doing your research and making the decision will help ensure that your decontamination processes are optimised and your investment protected.
For more information on the leading infection control equipment and comprehensive maintenance & support services supplied by Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322
[i] Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices. Department of Health. 2023. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HTM_01-05_2013.pdf [Accessed January 2025]
[ii] Cleaning of Dental Instruments Dental Clinical Guidance Second Edition Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme SDCEP. (2014). [Accessed January 2025]
