How to Organize Dental Supplies More Efficiently

At a busy dental office, many supplies and tools are used throughout the day. Some dental supplies are disposable, while others need to be cleaned and sterilized after each use by a dentist or dental staff.

As a dentist, keeping your practice running smoothly requires careful organization and management of your dental supplies. From small items to larger equipment, having a well-organized system for storing and accessing your supplies is essential. 

In this blog post, we will share some dental office organization ideas and strategies for organizing your dental supplies in a way that is efficient, effective, and tailored to the specific needs of your practice. Whether you are just starting out or looking to optimize your current setup, these tips will help you keep your practice running smoothly and ensure that you always have the supplies you need on hand.

Why Dental Supplies Need to be Organized

The more orderly things are in an office and the treatment rooms, the easier it is to focus on patient care. All day, sterilized and prepared tools are needed within an arm’s reach for effective infection control. 

Looking for tools in a crammed cupboard or drawer leads to unnecessary time loss. Not only the dentist but also the dental hygienist and dental assistant needs access to dental supplies for the many procedures that happen on a daily basis.  

Decide What and How Much You Need

Before organizing your stock, you must decide what and how much to order. Not having enough dental materials can disrupt operations, but having too much can result in money overspent, and possible waste.

Identify Inventory and Stock Issues

A good first step is to consider any inventory issues your dental practice has had in the past. If you frequently run out of certain items, adjust your ordering. 

Create a Dental Supply List

Make a complete list of everything you have in stock. For each item, note the type, brand, material, quantity, price, expiry, special storage requirements and roughly estimate the amount you use per month. Update the list regularly, so you know what to order and when.

Keep On Hand What is Needed

When you are working on patient care you need to focus on the procedure and not on finding the right tools and supplies. Move into storage or get rid of dental supplies you no longer need.  Keep the instruments that are needed on a daily basis within arm’s reach.    

Using Bins and Boxes for Supplies

Staff members need to be able to find things easily and also for inventory management it is easier to know when a new order needs to be placed when you can see the quantity of items in a bin. Go through each office, closet and drawer and create a sorting system. Label all the supply boxes and bins and use colour coding to help with visibility for the various dental office supplies. 

Maintaining Dental Tools

Regularly check to make sure tools are sterilized properly. Having a designated sterilization area is the best way to simplify this process. 

Dental practices need to keep their instruments like scalers, curettes, sickle probes, sharp and in working order.  Naturally, tools used multiple times a day start to wear down.

Organized Dental Supplies Make for an Efficient Practice

Medlee is a leader in procuring and supplying modern medical products for medical and dental industry stakeholders. We have a large range of dental supplies to help dentists look after their patients in the best way possible. We want to help you with your goals of continuous improvement so you can focus on delivering an optimal patient experience everyday.