Bill Klaproth (host): This is AAOMS On the Go. I'm Bill Klaproth, and with me is Shaun Stillwell, Practice Operations Strategist at Sowingo. In this episode, we're going to dive into the vital role of sterilization in oral and maxillofacial surgery, why it matters, the challenges practices face, and how technology is driving safer, more efficient protocols. Shaun, welcome.

Shaun Stillwell: Hi, Bill. Thanks for having me.

Host: Absolutely. Great to talk with you and thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate this. So let's start with this, Shaun. Why is sterilization so crucial in OMS practices?

Shaun Stillwell: Oh, so, sterilization is foundational in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Actually even more so than in general dentistry because there are so many procedures that often involve exposure to bone, blood and deep tissue, which naturally carry a higher risk of infection and cross-contamination. From a safety perspective, it does protect both staff and patients from transmissible diseases. And from a compliance standpoint, it's essential.

Organizations like the CDC, OSHA and QUAD-A have like really strict sterilization protocols for surgical practices. But beyond compliance, the most important reason, the reason why sterilization is so crucial in OMS practices is trust. Patients assume that every tool used on them is sterile.

So if you ever break that trust, or if the practice ever breaks that trust, whether through a report or an audit, the reputational damage to your practice can be absolutely devastating. So sterilization is crucial because it's about safety and compliance and credibility all at the same time.

Host: Yeah, I think that's very well said. That trust component is really important. And you're right, when you go in for a procedure, you expect everything to be sterile, so there's no question about it. You just expect it and that trust is really important. So having said that, Shaun, what are some common challenges practices face with sterilization?

Shaun Stillwell: In my experience, the most common challenges fall into three categories or three buckets as I like to think about them. So you've got compliance, consistency, and communication.

First of all, practices struggle to stay up to date with which guidelines apply to them. So CDC, OSHA, QUAD-A, like I mentioned before, and they struggle to know how to implement them properly. So that's the compliance side.

Secondly, consistency is a real challenge. Staff turnover, habits from past roles, inconsistent training. All of these things can lead to variation in how sterilization is performed. In fact, even just switching states can sometimes complicate things.

And third and finally, communication. Sometimes it's really unclear who's responsible for what. Logs get missed or expired instruments stay in rotation or indicator use becomes inconsistent. And sometimes even when someone's made responsible, they don't have the time to implement the strategies they want to.

So what I’ve found, and something that's surprising about sterilization failure, is that most of them aren't about the equipment. They're about human error.

So one big North American study found that while only 0.2% of sterilization cycles failed, over 91% of those failures were due to human error. And that's why having standardized systems and clear responsibilities is so vital.

Host: That makes sense. So compliance, consistency and communication. The average lay person probably doesn't think about sterilization and how important it is and the procedures that you have to follow to make sure that everything is accounted for and sterile. So thanks for pointing that out. So then, how can technology help practices maintain high sterilization standards?

Shaun Stillwell: Technology is a game changer, Bill. It helps practices move from being reactive to proactive. For example, digital tracking systems can automatically record sterilization cycles, flag expired instruments, and alert staff when maintenance is due. And that eliminates the need to rely on handwritten logs and manual checks.

At Sowingo, for example, we work with practices that want to make compliance a byproduct of their workflow, so not a burden for themselves. They integrate their sterilization with their inventory systems, ensuring the right instruments are available, they're in good condition and that reduces risk, saves time.

We also offer scanning tools and there are scanning tools available that allow teams to label and scan sterilized cassettes or pouches directly into a patient's chart so you can have patient level traceability with just one action. No more writing, no more paper logs, just quick scanning straight into the patient log. You are proactively taking control of your compliance.

Host: So you said technology really plays a vital role in all of this. So then with that technology, how does automation play in improving sterilization compliance?

Shaun Stillwell: Automation removes the guesswork. It reduces that human error I mentioned earlier in one of your earlier questions. 91% of those failed sterilization cycles were due to human error. So every sterilization load, as we know, should include mechanical, chemical, biological indicators. And tracking those manually is time consuming and it's error prone.

So, you know, some U.S. practices, for example, also outsource spore testing to third party labs, which adds delays, complicates compliance. Automation can really help if you want to do something like in-house spore test tracking, so you get real time alerts for missed steps and you can instantly generate all of your audit logs without having to rely on a third party. So, thinking about automation as well, that removal of guesswork, if it's a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon with new staff, if you've got automation in place, your standards don't slip. You've always got the right steps to follow. Again on that statistic, machines rarely fail. People do. So let's let automation handle the tracking and then we can let our teams focus on care and consistency.

Host: Yeah, technology and automation can help remove that human error component, which is important. So Shaun, what are some best practices then for maintaining efficient sterilization processes?

Shaun Stillwell: So that's a question I often get asked, and I always recommend focusing on three pillars: standardize, digitize, and educate.

So first off, standardize your protocol. Everyone, and I mean everyone, whether they're new or old members of staff, they should follow the exact same steps. Drift happens when training isn't reinforced and when new staff come in, they often pick up bad habits from others.

Secondly, digitize your documentation. We mentioned automation. Automate as much as you can. Paper logs are error prone, they're messy and they're hard to retrieve. Digital records are searchable, secure, legible. They don't fade. They don't disappear during audits.

And then thirdly, educate continuously. Sterilization isn't one and done. Guidance evolves. Equipment evolves. Assign a sterilization champion and make sure they're empowered, not just trained. Give them the chance to lead in updates, train others, and empower them to learn themselves. And that way you'll always have someone who's dedicated to learning the next new thing and bringing it into the your space, because all comes back down right to the start. Efficiency and sterilization isn't just about speed, it's about reliability, it's about trust, it's about confidence. You've got to be sure that the right thing is being done every single time.

Host: Yeah, that's a great message.

So that's really good stuff, Shaun, really interesting information that you've talked to us about today. I really appreciate your time. Just wondering, is there anything else you'd like to add?

Shaun Stillwell: I just want to reiterate that sterilization really is about trust. It's patients’ trust in you and it's your trust in your staff to do the right thing. And if you can remove any of those human errors, any of those doubts, then it's worth more than it's weight in gold.

Host: Yeah. Very well said. Shaun, thank you very much for your time. This has really been informative. We appreciate it. Thank you again.

Shaun Stillwell: Absolute pleasure.

Host: And once again, that is Shaun Stillwell. And to learn more about sterilization tracking, compliance and safety for OMS practices, visit the Sowingo webpage at AAOMSadvantage.org. Go to AAOMSAdvantage.org.

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I'm Bill Klaproth. This is AAOMS On the Go. Thanks for listening.