A no-cost solution to operatory clutter

Would you believe there is an effective solution for this procedural problem that seems to haunt many dental offices around the world? And it’s free.

Create a bulk storage area in one location for all of your commonly used items, such as the cotton products, masks, gloves and bibs. The success to this technique is to create only one location. Multiple locations for the storage of these products is not effective and will hurt you financially by bogging down your productivity.

How to downsize your Inventory

Start by slimming down your operatory drawers to streamline only the commonly used items like saliva ejectors, gloves, bibs and so on.

Take out all of the procedural-specific items, such as bonding agents and composites out of the ops, and move them into storage in the back. By completing this step, you now need a place for re-stocking these items once they are depleted from use. That is where the bulk storage area comes into play and how you can start saving money immediately.

What you can expect

Yes, it will take a little time to combat your operatories and sift through your procedural items.

Yes, it will take some effort to figure out where and how this bulk storage area concept is going to work and how much room you will need. And yes, it will be a time-consuming process that initially seems to have not much value to its purpose.

What you can also expect

While you are swearing under your breath, thinking, “Why I am putting this much effort into this part of my practice when I could be sterilizing and prepping procedures that need to be done before tomorrow?” you will stumble upon your first expired bonding agent.

I am sure you will find another one while you drop half of your composites on the floor, and those other expired items will keep showing their ugly little faces, laughing as they hit the bottom of the trash can while you continue your journey through the endless items that are hiding throughout your operatory drawers.

Next month, however, you will notice something compared to the month prior. Your inventory re-order amount will be less than before. Your fellow co-workers will know the locations of the procedural items for prep and where to find the bulk for re-stocking.

You may even notice that you are getting procedures prepped faster and gaining extra time in between them, allowing you to concentrate on other tasks, schedule more appointments or take that time to do an awesome slow-motion fist pump followed by a subtle yet passionate, “Oh yeah!” spoken softly under your breath because you are now becoming an efficient and more profitable practice … with no financial investment.

(Source: Zirc)