ZIRC COMPANY
Defeat Chaos with Color
With Zirc's Color Method system, clinicians enhance productivity and save time--keeping their clinical tools organized by procedure and categorized by color
With clutter comes chaos. If this sounds like a bit of a stretch, consider the challenges that accompany a disorganized workspace: stressed-out staff, lost time due to searching for misplaced tools, low patient satisfaction, and even health hazards. Getting organized begins with developing a routine that streamlines your workfl ow and helps you fi nd what you’re looking for the moment you need it. And why not add a pop of color to brighten up your operatories?
Zirc’s Color Method system helps the dental team easily fi nd materials during procedures and track each item in the operatory. Zirc believes color-coding products by procedure is the most effective way to organize tools and provide information at a glance— without reading labels or sorting through materials.
As a way of introducing dental teams to the Color Method system, Zirc created ZOBE, or Zirc's Organizational Box of Effi ciency, which includes over 30 top-selling products. This allows staff members to see the products and determine which ones are essential to organizing their practice.
Taking a Team Approach
Dr. Tanya Brown, the founder and owner of The Center for Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry in Chesapeake, VA, shared how implementing the Color Method system has had a positive impact on her practice's effi ciency and productivity. “I haven’t had to replace anything, and we’ve been using the system for almost a year," she said.
Prior to equipping her team with the Color Method system, she struggled to decrease the number of unnecessary tasks in each staff member’s routine. “When the assistants were setting up and tearing down rooms, they had so many pieces and parts,” she said, describing how they would have to go through multiple drawers or across the room to gather everything needed for a single procedure. “With the Color Method, we spent just one weekend taking everything out of the cabinets and drawers, repackaging it, and putting materials in procedure tubs. Now, everything is in one place and there's a lot less back and forth.”
The Color Method prevents clinicians and dental assistants from having to rummage for a particular instrument in the middle of an appointment. By easily locating the proper dental materials and having a universal system for sterilizing and storing each instrument, the dental team can work in greater harmony—and patients will appreciate the calm and synchrony in the operatory, too.
“It just made things a lot smoother," Dr. Brown said of the initial transition. She added, “I just brought on a new associate. Now, with everything organized, it has been very easy to train him.”
A Cleaner Working Environment
Zirc set out to go beyond stainlesssteel, producing OSHA- and CDC-compliant resin products with an antimicrobial agent incorporated during the manufacturing process. Unlike a coating, this antimicrobial protection continuously resists the growth of bacteria and mold. With the addition of Zirc's locking covers for tubs and trays, practices can achieve the highest level of quality and infection control.
"Sometimes, when you're autoclaving plastic cassettes, they get kind of crusty and faded," said Dr. Brown. "But Zirc colorcode materials are high quality."
In a designated Sterilization Center, color-coded B-Lok Tray systems are for instrument setups, while Procedure Tubs hold procedure-specifi c materials. Trays and tubs can be stored on Zirc’s Multi-Mod racks or shelving, in cabinets, or on the counter. To create more storage space, dental teams should remove the bulk overstock of disposable products such as paper towels, patient napkins, and gauze.
“Our sterilization area is much neater,” shared Dr. Brown. “There's no longer items strewn all over the cabinets and countertops. And I think the materials defi nitely hold up better than some of the other tubs and trays we've used.”
"Zirc's Color Method system is so much better as far as supply management and cost."
-Dr. Tanya Brown
Time-Saving Design
With Zirc’s Color Method system, clinicians and assistants will spend less time looking for instruments or missing materials, and more time focusing on patient care. “One of the things that used to drive me insane was always buying mandrels and discs,” said Dr. Brown, noting that these expensive products often got lost in the clutter and needed to be replaced. “Zirc's Color Method system is so much better as far as supply management and cost.”
Of the system's time-saving capabilities, Dr. Brown estimated saving 5 to 10 minutes per patient setup. “That’s pretty signifi cant,” she concluded.
5 Organizational Steps to Stress Less
•Get Colorful
Assign each procedure its own color. Instruments, instrument holders, bur holders, and dental materials will all be identified by the same color for each procedure. Zirc's 3 color lines include Vibrant, Jewel, and Classic
•Instrument Management
Select the products you need for each procedure by determining the number of instruments and burs used. Match the color E-Z ID rings and/or Tape used on instruments to identify the procedure
•Material Management
Store procedure-specific materials in one tub that matches the assigned procedure color. The tubs can be easily transported between centralized storage and the treatment room
•Central Sterilization
Organize a Sterilization Center to store your procedure setups and excess procedure-specific dental materials. This centralized location allows for easy access, optimal organizations, an efficient restocking of materials
•Treatment Room
Store nonprocedure disposable products (gloves, cotton products, etc.) in the treatmet room cabinetry. Make sure to return the procedure setups to the Sterilization Center so the treatment room remains uncluttered