Workplace attire and professionalism is highly indispensable, be it in any field. However, if you hail from the healthcare realm and attend to patients, the right clothes can help way more than just signifying professional appeal. Especially if you practice dentistry, it’s crucial to maintain hygiene and get into sanitised clothes before work. It’s so because the risk of contamination is likely to be higher in a dentist’s clinic as your face including, the nose and zygoma, might come in direct contact with the patient’s airways. Along with dental scrubs and a lab coat, eye goggles, masks and gloves are significant in keeping cross-contamination.
Making the right choice
Medical Scrubs, designed to be both comfortable and appealing, come in versatile colours. Some professionals prefer to get their dentists or staff the same coloured scrub as a part of credentials. However, not everyone will actually need the same type of scrub. Dental scrubs are made out of different fabrics to suit distinct requirements. Australia has actually seen a sharp rise in the number of dental hygienists and technicians- 7,400 in 2020. For dental assistants, nurses or staff who’d require disposable scrubs during intricate surgeries, scrubs out of lightweight cotton are the best to buy. However, for dentists who need protection from body fluids, heavy polyester scrubs can work just perfect.
Benefits of wearing medical scrubs
- Your comfort matters!
As healthcare professionals, you might have to work for extended hours and perform exhausting procedures anytime. And undeniably, your comfort matters and not all your regular clothes can slip on well. Sometimes, a pair of skinny trousers or a nylon shirt can be annoying, making you feel sticky all day! So, firstly, dental scrubs, often made of a stretchable fabric- spandex and cotton that can wick sweat offer the best comfort.
- Scrubs offer utmost functionality
As dentists, one might have to perform a range of movements, stand for prolonged hours during surgeries and root canals. Also, dentists ought to run around, get their tools disinfected, move to make an X-ray screening, etc. Presumably, clothes that allow such movements without any restraints are functional and, so are scrubs. Scrubs, made out of a polyester blend, are stretchable and lets you move around hassle-free. Scrubs top and pants also come with multiple functional pockets to hold essential tools like a mouth mirror or dental probes!
- Scrubs act as a physical barrier
Polyester scrubs offer the best resistance against bacteria and other pathogens from harbouring your skin! Also, during intriguing procedures, dentists are susceptible to the transmission of body fluids and saliva from the patient, which might induce further infections. In such cases, a physical barrier like sterilised scrubs can prevent such direct contact from happening. Luckily, scrubs are easy to care for and maintain. So, once you wash them with mild detergents, they are ready for subsequent uses over some disinfection. Even in cases where you get your patient’s saliva splashed or have phenol spill over your scrub, you can easily spot the stain and eliminate them effortlessly.
- They are economical
Most scrubs, even those from certified labels, do not lie on the expensive side. The prime benefit is that you have versatile fabrics, colour, size and sleeve designs, yet they are affordable. Also, since they are made out of blend fibres, they are highly durable and resistant to strains and stretches. Newer blends even offer a Quadri directional stretch- they are super functional during extended duties and shifts. With some extra bucks, you can also afford nylon scrubs infused with silver that are antimicrobial!
