Excess product waste in the dental practice – what can you do?

Getting on top of your stock

In most clinics, you’ll find various types of adhesives, composites and impression materials. In such a rapidly-developing profession, it’s important that you can meet the diverse needs of your patient base. But too many products can soon throw your stock into disarray. Due to disorganisation and over- or under-stocking, certain products may expire before they can be used. If you run out of one product, then you run the risk of losing out financially and/or displeasing your patient if you’re unable to go ahead with treatment there and then.

Good inventory management is key to avoid unnecessary wastage and protect your money. Streamlining your stock with a suitable management strategy will help you and your team get a better handle of what products you need. Make a list of every product that you stock, and identify any issues that you encounter frequently – for example, do you always run out of one product, while another expires and ends up being thrown away?

Plus, organisation is key to prevent expiration, wastage and shortages. A tidy stock room is essential, and you could consider implementing a ‘first-in, first-out’ system. This is to ensure that the items with the soonest expiration date are used first. If you have excess stock, avoid finding other places for them aside from the stock room. This may save on space, but it’s easier to lose track of what you have and haven’t used. Also, most products come in plastic packaging, which contributes towards your plastic wastage when thrown away. Certain chemicals within the products themselves can be harmful to the environment.[i] So, by finessing your ordering strategy and stock organisation, you can avoid needless disposal of these materials.

Products that are more than just fit for purpose

When ordering stock, are there any products that just ‘aren’t working’ for your patients? Do you find that demand for these products is low, or you use them once and then never again? If this is the case, it may be worth exploring other solutions that are better suited to your practice. To further help cut down on excessive ordering, you could opt for products that can be used for multiple indications.

For instance, shade selection is a challenging aspect of practise. Many clinicians may find that they have an excessive number of shades that, inevitably, go to waste. Yet did you know that 80% of clinicians use only a single composite shade for most of their restorations?[ii] If this is the case in your practice, you could look to cut down on those that end up wasted. Universal shade composite systems are an ideal way to cut back on product wastage, without compromising on the treatment you deliver to patients. You can replace several products and, in turn, streamline your product selection and cut down on costs. While restorative products, for example, are inexpensive compared to other dental products, costs can cumulate over time. Plus, this makes stock organisation and ordering much simpler, too.

Clinicians face a balancing act. They must meet the needs of their patient population, while also protecting their bottom lines and not over- or under-stocking their practice. Switching to versatile products is one option to help avoid wastage, without impacting the quality of your work. 3M Oral Care believes every clinician’s product selection should be high-quality, but streamlined for ease and convenience. The award-winning* Filtek Universal Restorative from 3M covers the entire VITA spectrum with only 8 shades, including options specifically formulated for bleached dentition and to conceal metal defects.**

Cut down on waste, but don’t compromise

It’s important that all dental practices scrutinise the ways they can cut down on waste, including being mindful of product usage. Streamlining your product selection and prioritising an organised stock room will help to reduce wastage. This will also enable you to save on costs and limit your environmental impact.

For more information, call 08705 360 036 or visit www.go.3M.com/ocsdpr

3M and Filtek are trademarks of the 3M Company.

* Dental Advisor awards 2023: https://www.dentaladvisor.com/evaluations/3m-filtek-universal-restorative/

** 3M Internal data

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[i] Mulligan, S., Hatton, P.V. and Martin, N. (2022). Resin-based composite materials: elution and pollution. British Dental Journal. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-022-4241-7#Sec20 [Accessed 5 Apr. 2023].

[ii] 3M Internal data – KeyGroup (2018) market research study (over 300 participants from the UK, Germany, US, Russia and Brazil).