Dental Equipment and Instruments: Checking, Maintenance & Records

This assignment details the methods used to check the correct functioning of dental equipment and instruments before use, adhering to manufacturer guidelines, organizational, and legal requirements. It covers various equipment such as dental chairs, aspirators, handpieces, ultrasonic scalers, X-ray machines, X-ray processing equipment, autoclaves, washer dryers, and ultrasonic baths. The assignment explains how the maintenance of each piece of equipment is recorded, emphasizing the importance of maintaining records of inspections, repairs, and any malfunctions for future reference and compliance with health and safety regulations. Specific checks and maintenance procedures are outlined for each device, including daily, between-patient, and periodic tasks, as well as actions to take in case of contamination, malfunction, or other issues. The document highlights the practitioner's duty of care to ensure patient safety and a germ-free environment, referencing the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the necessity of reporting any equipment faults to senior colleagues and authorized agents. The importance of using validated washer-disinfectors and ultrasonic baths, along with regular testing and validation, is also emphasized to ensure effective cleaning and sterilization.

Latest feedback by Sharlene Evans (Trainee Assessor) 30/04/2018 12:34
Screen 2 of 2
Dental Equipment and
Instruments
Describe the methods you have used
to check correct functioning before
use (in line withmanufacturer’s
guidelines, organisational and legal
requirements)
Explain how the
maintenance of
equipment and
instruments is
recorded
Dental chair
Before starting the day of use,
 The auto rotate movement is
checked.
 Position of power cord and cable is
inspected.
 The functions of switches are
individually checked(Takara
Belmont, 2016).
 Moving parts are checked for
squeaking, oil leakage, or water
spillage.
 The position of the main power
switch is checked.
As per legislation, this device has a ‘CE’
marked and is hence of highest standards.
It the Dentist’s responsibility in terms of
Duty of Care according to Health and Safety
at work Act 1974.
A record is maintained
about each inspection
for future reference. In
case of any mechanical
or technical failure the
senior colleague will
be reported. Further,
the manufacturer will
also be reported for
checking and repair.
Aspirator
(include daily maintenance –
start of day, between patients
and end of day)
At the start of the day, the HK Aspirator is
checked whether, there is any dirt, stains or
other materials present in the aspirator. The
Filter changed between patients.at the end of
the day, the filter is changed and checked for
malfunctioning, dirt or stains. Nozzle is
checked for cleanliness(HK Surgicals,
2014). Collection canisters has to be
checked for capacity
As per the health and Safety at work, the
hygiene and performance has to be check for
defaults to ensure safety and germ free
environment.
In case of
contamination, alarm
sound, fault or
malfunction, the same
should be reported to
the Dentist and the
senior colleague.

Hand pieces
Hand pieces should be checked for
cleanliness and sterility. Before each use the
instruments should be cleaned and made
sterile(Medident UK, 2015). Electric
instruments should be check for operational
functionality.
In case of blunt
instruments, the same
should be recorded and
reported to the
maintenance engineer.
Ultrasonic scaler
For Bonart Art-M1, before the daily starting
of activity,
 The device is flushed and checked
for operational functionality.
 It has to be checked whether the
device is in a well ventilated room.
 The power output is checked for
sufficiency(Bonart Co, 2016).
 The inserts are checked for
operational wear and tear.
As per legislation, this device is checked for
‘CE’ mark before purchase and use.
According to Health and Safety at work Act
1974, it the practitioner’s ‘Duty of Care’
responsibility to ensure no injury is incurred
to the patient.
In case of LED power
indicator failure, the
maintenance engineer
as well as the
authorized supplier is
reported(Bonart Co,
2016). In case not
water is not reaching
the tip, then the water
line is checked.
X-ray machine
Before starting of daily operation,
 The external surface of ART is
checked for cleanliness.
 The mirrors in the machined are
cleaned using cleaning liquid.
 The part of contact, with patient has
to be disinfected after each
use(KAVO, 2017).
 The removable transparent cone will
be checked and cleaned.
 The transparent cone has to be made
sterile if it is required.
 The power input is checked for
proper power supply.
According to the Health and Safety at work
act 1974, it is critical for the practitioners of
surgical instruments and machines to ensure
their proper functioning to avoid injury.
In case of unexpected
noise or smell the
device should be
disconnected and
reported to the senior
colleague immediately.
The maintenance is
made by an engineer.
If the operating unit
goes out of order, the
same should be
recorded and the
higher authority has to
be reported. In case of
microprocessor error,
the same should be
reported and recorded.
The authorised agent
will repair critical
device faults.
X-ray processing equipment The power chord is checked for position and
power supply. The external surface is
Each maintenance
activity is recorded.

cleaned daily. The interior of the loader is
cleaned using cold sterile solution before
start of each date. The Tank is inspected for
cleanliness and is cleaned after each day
using running water and cleaning
tablet(Velopex, 2013). The turning modules
are checked for functioning and is cleaned
thoroughly before and after each day’s use.
The processing chemicals are checked for
validity before use.
According to the legislation, the appropriate
device should be accordance to the highest
quality standards and is marked using ‘CE’.
The changing activity
of processing
chemicals has to be
strictly recorded. In
case of spillage, the
same has to be quickly
removed, recorded and
reported to the
concerned authority.
In case of overheating,
no operation, audible
beep sound, dark films,
light films and dirty
films, the maintenance
procedures has to be
followed and the
senior authority has to
be reported. The call
service has to be
contacted because such
critical repair can only
be done by the
authorised agents.
Autoclave
Vacuum
Before start of daily operation, the gasket
has to be cleaned. The external surface has
to be checked for cleanliness. The power
supply has to be checked to avoid injury.
The gasket has to be checked for leakage.
The LED display has to be checked for
proper display.
On a monthly basis, the waste water
container has to be cleaned and made
sterile(Prestidge medical, 2014).
Periodically after every 250 cycles, the
autoclave kit has to be used for full and
thorough cleaning.
Periodically after 500 cycles, the air filtered
has to be changed.
The water filters has to be changed annually.
The number of cycles
of use has to be
recorded and
monitored. Changes to
gasket and cleaning of
water tanks has to be
recorded for
monitoring and future
references. In case of
malfunctions, no
power, and display
issue, the senior
colleague has to be
contacted. Repair will
be done by the
authorised agent and
the maintenance
engineer.
Non-
vacuum
Before start of daily operation, the gasket
has to be cleaned. The external surface has
to be checked for cleanliness. The power
supply has to be checked to avoid injury.
The gasket has to be checked for
leakage(Prestidge medical, 2014). The
Every maintenance
routine has to be
recorded using date
and time. In case of
malfunctions, no

power indicators has to be checked for
signals.
On a monthly basis, the waste water
container has to be cleaned and made sterile.
power, and display
issue, the senior
colleague has to be
contacted. Repair will
be done by the
authorised agent and
the maintenance
engineer.
Washer dryer
Cleaning should be undertaken using an
automated, validated washer-disinfector.
This should be the method of choice for pre-
sterilisation cleaning as washer-disinfectors
include a disinfection stage that renders the
instruments safe for handling and inspection.
Daily Maintenance and
repair has to be
recorded. Any
malfunction has to be
immediately reported
to the maintenance
engineer.
Ultrasonic bath
Methods used to check ultrasonic bath :
- foil test
-cleaning filters ,daily in line with
manufacture’s guidelines
-set up daily enzymatic /detergent solution
and water
-visual inspection ,to check if there are no
signs or soiling or staining
-change the solution end of session or when
solution becomes cloudy
Weekly requirement is Protein Detection
test to detect levels of protein
A record must be kept
of each inspection as
evidence.This should
include daily
checks,visual
efficiency, cleaning
and draining.
A validation report
should be issued after
each procedure by the
engineer. Machine
validation proves the
ultrasonic bath
machine performance
as dictated in HTM 01-
05.

References
Bonart Co, 2016. ART-M1 ultrasonic Scaler: User Manual, Xinzhuang: Author.
HK Surgicals, 2014. HK Aspirator: Operating manual for AP-III and AP230-III, London:
Author.
KAVO, 2017. KavoIn Exam 3510: User manual, London: Author.
Medident UK, 2015. MK-Dent: Operational Manual, London: Author.
Prestidge medical, 2014. Advance User ManualVacuum (B) & Non-Vacuum (N) Autoclaves,
London: Author.
Takara Belmont, 2016. Chesta II: Operating Manual, London: Author.
Velopex, 2013. Sprint MK6: user Guide, London: Hi-Tech Diagnostics.