CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 5

31 Issue 5 | 2019 | I ssues and P eople SCENARIO Members of your team have requested new equipment, but you don’t feel ready to make the financial investment. How would you handle this situation? I t’s been a busy couple of weeks at your office. You’ve worked hard with your team, especially the office manager, to ensure that your equipment complies with new infection control protocols. You’ve invested in additional autoclaves and the sundries required to properly process and store sterilized equipment, and you’ve communicated with the team about some unexpected costs. This week, the office manager mentions that the hygienists would like to have their scalers and cavitron tips replaced, and they need several new complete sets to rotate through. They also have a list of other equipment and materials they would like you to invest in. Your first instinct is to reject this request since your overhead costs are increasing steadily and the overall production of the office is not increasing at the same rate. Additionally, hygiene production has decreased slightly and hygiene is not fully booked each week. You understand that working with good instrumentation and materials is essential for providing quality care to your patients. But spending on complete instrument sets and other items doesn’t seem fiscally responsible—or possible—at the moment. You consider replacing some instruments slowly over time but worry that this will affect morale in the team. We asked Dr. Sheela Raja for her insights on this scenario. Dr. Raja is a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Colleges of Dentistry and Medicine, and an expert on post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma-informed health care, and health care communication. Dr. Sheela Raja Watch an interview with Dr. Raja on CDA Oasis wp.me/p2Lv6A-6Pr • Healthy Workplace Series •