In a roundabout way, my path led me to my own branch. After my residency in Berlin, I decided to gain further experience in Northern Europe. After 6 years of clinical experience in Sweden, I learned to love the country and the people. I also learned to appreciate the excellent teamwork, which always puts the patient at the center, the associated high patient satisfaction, the productivity and the quality management - also in terms of hygiene. Despite a high throughput of patients
all work processes had to be subject to a comprehensible routine. I quickly learned what this meant not only for the patients, but also for the whole team: safety, excellent resource management, effective work, simple task distribution, automation of documentation. From the unclean to the clean side - ergonomic reprocessing is possible even with little space. After 9 years of professional experience, I have found my way as a practitioner and have now taken the step into self-employment in the center of Berlin in 2012.
self-employment in the center of Berlin. I chose MELAG to accompany me on this journey. I work in a broad spectrum of general dentistry. I have a specialization in clinical gnathology/treatment of jaw dysfunctions from Sweden.
There were clear ideas for the practice planning:
- I want process-oriented work. Work steps should be easily definable and goal-oriented.
- Saving time in all work steps is not only economically desirable but also makes sense for the following reason: The patient is the most important thing to me. He/she should be given the most time.
- Anything that can be done automatically, without a lot of paperwork, supported by software and with few staff is positive from a practice-internal perspective.
- I also want my practice, which is still small now, to grow into the "right shoes" and offer as much as possible now. At the same time, I want everything to be well prepared for the later fuller operation.
- This means that new staff will be added gradually and I hope that the new employees will find it easy to integrate into our everyday practice structures.
- The space available in my premises is limited, but I still don't want to make any compromises.
Modern and safe instrument reprocessing
The workflow concept I brought with me from my clinic in Sweden can be optimally implemented with the help of the MELAtherm 10 and the Vacuklav 40 B+: The trays for patient treatment are prepared the day before, removed in sequence shortly before treatment and brought to the treatment rooms. This means that everything is in place for the treatment as soon as the patient enters the room. After treatment, the trays are taken directly back to the reprocessing room and can be left untreated in the unclean area for the time being, if the treatment continues immediately in the second treatment room. A few minutes before the scheduled breaks, my assistant then takes care of loading the MELAtherm.
My assistant mentions the following advantages:
1. safety: there is no longer any need to handle chemicals (disinfection tray). In addition, the instruments are only handled once briefly and loading is simple and safe. Also
injuries are also prevented!
2. simple operation: the programs are very easy to understand and commissioning requires no more than 2 keystrokes.
3. loading is facilitated by different types of wash baskets, which offer a system for the most diverse needs of a practice. This is also a real help for new staff who need to be trained or newcomers.
4. documentation is extremely simplified as it is fully automated electronically; it takes virtually no time at all.
As a new employer, I see these advantages in the same way, as I am now solely responsible for safety and documentation. What's more, I don't like chemicals from an environmental point of view anyway, and economic efficiency lies largely in making good use of the available manpower. I would like to have my assistant with me in the room during the treatment. The time in the sterile room should be minimized - many patients appreciate this because they realize that we are both focused on them. I want to quickly set up a QM that is easy to understand but also complete and that every new employee can adhere to. This is of course much easier with simplified work steps and documentation. The Vacuklav 40 B+ also offers us many advantages: The control panel is clearly laid out and very easy to understand. Programming is quick and easy to understand, making the appliance extremely user-friendly. After purchasing the new appliance, we were able to get started practically straight away without having to spend days reading the operating instructions. No additional work is necessary: Not even filling up with water. We do not need (in our already small practice) to store canisters of distilled water. The device can be used spontaneously without any major preparations, which makes everyday sterilization much easier. Maintenance work within the practice is minimal. Here too, documentation is simple and safe and without additional time expenditure.
Pleasant working environment thanks to attractive design while meeting all hygiene requirements
From previous experience in large clinics and also in private practices, we have placed our trust in MELAG. We are delighted that everything works so smoothly and easily. Last but not least, the design in a new practice is of course also impressive, which contributes significantly to an appealing working environment for us as a team. With the support of MELAtherm 10 and Vacuklav 40 B+, we can work effectively and spend more time in the treatment room with our patients without having to compromise on thorough hygiene. And that's what it's all about.
