Dental Assistant Practice Exam

What should you do first if there is an equipment failure in a dental practice?

1. Continue working as usual

2. Contact the equipment manufacturer

3. Contact the Bio-Medical repair technician (BMET)

4. Alert the patients in the waiting area

The correct answer is: Contact the Bio-Medical repair technician (BMET)

In the event of equipment failure in a dental practice, the most effective first step is to contact the Bio-Medical repair technician (BMET). The reason this option is the best course of action is that a Bio-Medical technician is specifically trained to diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair medical and dental equipment. Their expertise ensures that the equipment is properly assessed and repaired, minimizing downtime and ensuring patient safety. While other options may seem reasonable, they do not provide an immediate solution to the equipment failure. Continuing to work as usual disregards the potential risks involved with faulty equipment, which could compromise patient care and safety. Contacting the equipment manufacturer could also be relevant, but it typically involves a longer process of diagnosis and repair that may not be as immediate or effective as involving a BMET first. Alerting patients in the waiting area would not address the technical failure and may only cause unnecessary anxiety among patients without resolving the underlying issue. Thus, reaching out to the BMET is the most responsible and practical first step in managing equipment failure.