What's included
- Operatory Turnover Between Patients — 7 steps
- Instrument Sterilization & Processing — 7 steps
- Patient Intake & Medical History Review — 6 steps
- Morning Opening & End-of-Day Shutdown — 7 steps
Operatory Turnover Between Patients
The procedure for cleaning and resetting the treatment room between every patient — fast, thorough, and compliant.
- Don fresh gloves before touching anything in the operatory. Remove all used instruments and place them in the designated transport container. Do not carry loose instruments through the hallway.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Dispose of all single-use items: suction tips, cotton rolls, gauze, bibs, barriers. Sharps go in the sharps container immediately — no loose needles sitting on the tray.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Remove all surface barriers from the light handles, chair controls, drawer pulls, X-ray head, and any other covered surfaces. Bag them and dispose.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Spray all surfaces with intermediate-level disinfectant: chair, armrests, headrest, countertops, light handle, bracket tray, delivery unit hoses, and the cuspidor. Allow the required contact time — don't wipe immediately.Notes: _______________________________________________
- After contact time, wipe all surfaces dry. Place fresh barriers on light handles, chair controls, X-ray head, and any other designated surfaces per your office protocol.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Set up the operatory for the next patient: review the chart, pull the correct instruments, set up the tray per the procedure being done, and stage any materials or supplies the doctor will need.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Final check: chair in the upright welcome position, bib and rinse cup ready, light off, everything staged. The operatory should look ready for an inspection at any moment — because it should be.Notes: _______________________________________________
Instrument Sterilization & Processing
The step-by-step procedure from dirty instruments to sterile, packaged, and ready for use.
- Transport contaminated instruments to the sterilization area in a covered, puncture-resistant container. Wear heavy-duty utility gloves, protective eyewear, and a mask during processing.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Pre-soak instruments in an enzymatic cleaning solution to break down organic material. Follow the manufacturer's dilution ratio and soak time — shortcuts here mean residue survives the autoclave.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Scrub instruments under running water using a long-handled brush. Pay attention to hinged instruments — open them while scrubbing. Inspect each instrument for damage, corrosion, or remaining debris. Damaged instruments get pulled from rotation.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Rinse thoroughly and dry instruments before packaging. Water left on instruments causes corrosion and can interfere with sterilization. Use a lint-free cloth or air dry.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Package instruments in appropriate sterilization pouches or wraps. Seal pouches completely. Place a chemical indicator inside each pack. Label with the date, contents, and sterilizer load number.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Load the autoclave per manufacturer instructions — don't overload. Run the cycle appropriate for the pack type. Record the cycle in the sterilization log: date, time, cycle type, load number, operator initials.Notes: _______________________________________________
- After the cycle, check the external chemical indicator on each pack. Store sterile packs in a clean, dry, covered area. Run a biological indicator (spore test) at least weekly — your state may require more frequent testing. Log all spore test results.Notes: _______________________________________________
Patient Intake & Medical History Review
The front-desk and clinical workflow for every new patient and every returning patient's update.
- New patients: send intake forms digitally before the appointment. If they arrive without completing them, hand them a clipboard and allow 15 minutes before their appointment time. Don't rush medical history — incomplete forms create clinical risk.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Verify insurance and benefits before the patient goes back. Confirm coverage, copay amount, and any treatment limitations. Surprises at checkout damage trust and create billing headaches.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Returning patients: ask at every visit if anything has changed — medications, health conditions, surgeries, allergies. People don't volunteer medical updates. A patient who started blood thinners since their last visit needs you to know that before you do an extraction.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Review the medical history for clinical flags: blood pressure medications (check BP before treatment), bisphosphonate therapy (surgical precautions), blood thinners (bleeding risk), pregnancy (radiation precautions), latex allergies (switch to nitrile), and any history of adverse reactions to anesthesia.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Update the chart immediately with any changes. Flag anything clinically significant so the doctor sees it before entering the operatory — don't rely on verbal handoffs for important medical information.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Escort the patient to the operatory. Confirm today's scheduled treatment and ask if they have any questions or concerns. Seat them comfortably and let the clinical team know the patient is ready.Notes: _______________________________________________
Morning Opening & End-of-Day Shutdown
The daily bookend procedures that keep the practice ready and compliant.
- Opening: arrive 30 minutes before the first patient. Turn on all equipment: compressor, suction, X-ray units, sterilizer, computers, and operatory lights. Allow equipment warm-up time per manufacturer specs.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Run waterlines for 2 minutes at each operatory to flush overnight stagnation. If you use a waterline treatment system, verify the treatment level is within range. Test and log the results per your protocol.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Check the day's schedule: review each patient's chart for notes, medical alerts, and treatment plans. Pull and stage any lab cases, referral notes, or pre-authorized treatment plans needed for the day.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Verify the sterilization area is stocked: enough pouches, wraps, indicators, and clean instrument cassettes to handle the day's volume. Running out mid-day disrupts every operatory.Notes: _______________________________________________
- End of day: process all remaining dirty instruments through the sterilization cycle. Don't leave contaminated instruments sitting overnight. Complete and log the final autoclave run.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Flush all waterlines and suction lines per manufacturer protocol. Turn off the compressor and suction unit. Drain traps if required by your system.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Front desk: confirm tomorrow's appointments, run any remaining insurance verifications, post the day's production, and back up the system. Turn off computers, lock the office, and set the alarm.Notes: _______________________________________________
Want your crew to run these on their phone?
Import these checklists into WithoutMe. Your crew checks off each step at the job site. You see who finished what.
Start building procedures — free No signup required.Common questions
What checklists does a dental business need?
Every dental business needs at minimum: operatory turnover between patients, instrument sterilization & processing, patient intake & medical history review, and morning opening & end-of-day shutdown. Start with the one your crew asks about most often or the one that leads to the most complaints and callbacks.
How do I get my dental crew to actually use a checklist?
Print it and hand it to them. A checklist in a binder nobody opens is worthless. Keep it short, make the steps specific to how your company does the job, and check that it's being followed for the first two weeks. If you want them to use it digitally, share a link they can pull up on their phone at the job site.
How many steps should a dental checklist have?
Keep it under 15 steps. A checklist with 30 steps won't get used because it takes too long to follow on a live job. Focus on the steps that matter most: the ones your crew skips, forgets, or does inconsistently. You can always add detail later.