The Practice Safely line of PPE and eServices is part of Carestream Dental’s Digital Reboot program to drive safer, faster practice recovery.
Carestream Dental has launched the Practice Safely line, a new portfolio of personal protective equipment (PPE) and eServices aimed at protecting the physical health of oral health professionals and patients, as well as the financial health of the practice.
As practice owners look to reopen safely and make up for cancelled appointments and lost revenue, they face the challenge—but necessity—of extra hygiene precautions, which could lead to increased time spent between patients. Rather than extend working hours or the days per week that the practice is open to allow time for these safety processes, practices can maximize chair productivity by adopting the most effective hygiene procedures with the Practice Safely line, according to the company. The portfolio includes products and services that reduce the need for physical contact; mitigate the spread of germs; and protect professionals when interacting with patients.
“Normal infection control procedures have been keeping oral health professionals safe while working close to patients for years, but there’s nothing ‘normal’ about what’s happening today,” Ed Shellard, DMD, chief dental officer at Carestream Dental, says. “The Practice Safely portfolio helps practices balance safety and efficiency.”
There are several eServices available as add-on modules to practices’ management software to help reduce the need for physical contact. Electronic registration forms that patients can fill out at home before an appointment eliminate the need to pass pens and paper back and forth in the office. Additionally, online payment options not only reduce the need to physically handle patients’ credit cards, but they also have been shown to reduce the cash receipt timeline by 3 weeks on average versus traditional payment methods. When a patient must pay in the office, contactless payment terminals are also available. Even filing claims electronically can reduce contact with paper, and Carestream Dental offers a truly electronic claims filing process.
When in the chair, a new line of face shields, including a reusable option and a disposable version, delivers protection against aerosols and splashes. Other tools and accessories that protect patients from cross contamination include autoclavable and single-use scanner tips and retractors, sheaths, bite blocks, head and chin rests, equipment covers, and CR imaging plates.
The Practice Safely line is part of Carestream Dental’s Digital Reboot, the company’s program to drive a safer, faster recovery by offering resources and guidance to oral healthcare professionals.