How Do I Keep Pests Out of My Dental Office?

A dentist’s office might seem like the last place to be susceptible to pest problems. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Even with stringent sterility and sanitation practices, especially persistent pests still can and will get in. Because cleanliness is so important in healthcare facilities, we’ve put together this list of top dental office pest prevention tips.

Know which pests are most likely to be drawn to your facility. 

When it comes to pests that are most attracted to medical facilities, there are a few that stand out. They include pests that are drawn to blood and other medical waste products. They also tend to be pests that are especially attracted to moisture. Healthcare facilities like dental offices use more water than other commercial properties due to stringent sanitation procedures, That makes them more of a target for these stand out pests like cockroaches, rodents, flies, and termites.

Practice vigilant perimeter maintenance. 

The easiest way to end up with a pest problem is by letting pests in in the first place. Your facility can be the cleanest, most sanitized building in the state… but pests can still find you. If they do, make it harder for them to infest by making it hard for them to get in. Vigilant perimeter maintenance focuses on regular inspections. How to perform a successful inspection:

• First, you go around the outside of your building and look for any disrepair. Common signs of disrepair include crumbling brick, holes in screens, loose seals, and overgrown brush.
• Fix any problems as soon as you notice them. The longer entry points are unaddressed, the more likely they are to be a pest’s way inside. Redo seals, replace bricks, repair holes, and so on.
• Check back on your repairs every few days. Make sure that the updates you made were able to set correctly. 
   

Make sure your sanitation practices include pest exclusion techniques.

All medical facilities have sanitation practices. There are specific EPA guidelines regarding how you need to maintain your dental office’s cleanliness. Following these guidelines is a lot of work –important, necessary work, but work nonetheless. If you’re already doing the job of writing and implementing cleanliness rules, it doesn’t take much extra to include pest control guidelines. Figure out which exclusion practices are ideal for your facility and include them in your training materials. The more aware and well-trained your staff is, the more likely they are to prevent pest problems.

Treat pest problems like cavities.

When a dentist notices a cavity in someone’s mouth, they always recommend immediate treatment. If a cavity is left unaddressed long term, it continues to get worse, after all. This same logic applies to pest problems. It’s easy to write off seeing just one bug, or one small sign. When you manage a healthcare facility like a dentist office, you don’t want to believe you could have a pest issue. The problem is, one bug almost always turns into more. Call a trusted pest control company the minute you notice a sign. Stamping small problems out early helps make sure they stay small problems.

Keeping pests out of the dental office you own or manage is simple. You just have to make sure you’re well informed, prepared, and ready to address problems as soon as they occur. Just like with tooth problems, if left unaddressed, infestations almost always get far bigger and worse. The next time you need help from a trusted pest control company, give Assured Environments a call. We’ll help you get pests out with minimal interruption to operations so your reputation as a medical facility can stay in tact.