How does the Color Method work?
Zirc’s Color Method is an organizational system that streamlines the process of managing dental instruments and materials. Zirc’s system groups all items needed for any given dental procedure in color-coordinated trays and tubs, so the dental team can grab and go without worrying they’re missing anything.
A posted color-code chart assigns a color to each appointment procedure. For instance, crown and bridge treatment is associated with the color plum and everything you need for instruments and materials will be found in a plum tray and tub set-up. No more scrambling or getting up from a procedure to retrieve missing items. Implementing color adds a visual element to both instrument and material management, yielding a stress-free day-to-day routine from set-up through sterilization.
The team at Zirc is not just manufacturing these colorful tubs, they’re available to implement the system in your office in person. Through consultation and hands-on collaboration, Zirc will ensure the system is tailored to your needs. There’s no gray area here: your dental practice can benefit from Zirc’s Color Method.
Save a Trip
While it’s not uncommon for dental practitioners to leave an exam room to retrieve misplaced instruments or product they’ve forgotten, it’s never ideal. This oversight not only adds unnecessary time to appointments, but it can also make your practice appear disorganized and add stress to an already potentially stressful appointment.
Derek Abramowski, DDS, has seen many positive outcomes since he implemented the Color Method at his Minnesota-based practice. “We’re no longer having to wait during hygiene visits for anyone to go find something.” Abramowski’s team at Southside Dental spends less time digging through drawers for materials, which allows more face-to-face time with their patients.
Save Space
Not every dental practice is outfitted with an abundance of storage space. This means supplies may be stored on countertops in operatories. Not only do materials stored that way risk contamination, but they can also make your treatment room look cluttered. A messy workspace can disrupt productivity, slow turnover between appointments, and put strain on staff — all of which can leave patients with a bad taste in their mouth.
By storing all procedure-specific materials in organized, stackable containers, The Color Method frees up counter and drawer space. A more organized office reduces stress for the dental team—and clean exam rooms reflect a level of professionalism that puts patients at ease.
Additionally, Zirc’s color-code bins can also brighten a sterile space with a pop of color, making operatories and treatment rooms more welcoming to patients. Kristi Kassulke, a Licensed Dental Hygienist at the Southside Dental, reported that, “It takes such a minimal amount of time to grab your tray, open the lid, and everything is right there. It’s made it very easy to spend a lot more time on education, and most patients are pretty impressed with the whole setup. People have been commenting on how impressive the whole [system] is.”
Save Time
Zirc’s simple system of organization doesn’t just look nice. The Color Method enables oral healthcare professionals to increase their efficiency and streamline their clinical operations. Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, said, “When instruments and materials move efficiently, so do you.”
Dr. Tanya Brown is a Dental Consultant, Speaker, and founder of The Center for Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry in Chesapeake, VA. Brown implemented Zirc’s color-code organizational system in her dental practice and measured the results over a period of eight weeks. She observed the time her staff took to set up and tear down treatment rooms, and sort, pouch, and load their autoclave. On average, the practice saved 24.6 hours per week. And at Southside Dental, The Color Method led to a reduction in treatment rooms needing restocking by 76%.
Save Money
Running a dental practice isn’t just about teeth, dentists are also business owners. Color Method not only saves time, it can also save your business money. Dental Practice Management Coach Karen Burnett implemented Zirc’s system of organization at a practice and noted that, “In the time they were able to save, they found that the team could perform at least one additional procedure per day or see additional patients.”
A more efficient patient flow allows dentists to maximize their profits. Burnett observed, “As a conservative estimate, a practice may produce $500 per hour restoratively. If a 45-minute composite procedure is added to each day at $375 per day, the practice works 4 days per week, and the practice is open 48 weeks per year, the practice can potentially add $72,000 more production per year.”
In addition to a fuller schedule, offices that implement Color Method have better control of their inventory. When Southside Dental cleaned out their offices in anticipation of transitioning to Zirc’s system, Abramowski remarked, “We ended up with a bin full of over a hundred instruments that were ‘just extra.’ It’s a lot of money just sitting in drawers we didn’t know we had.”
New Hires
Training new team members can be a slow and stressful process, but offices organized with Zirc’s Color Method have streamlined the training of new hires. The simple color-coded system is easy to understand and enables new team members to settle into their roles more quickly, fostering a more cohesive work environment for the whole team.
Dentist Approved
Zirc is one of the foremost manufacturers of dental products in the world. With their color-code system, Zirc has found a simple solution to improving the day-to-day routines of dental practices. Case studies of Color Method in actual dental offices have produced an abundance of positive outcomes: fewer instances when someone went looking for something during a procedure, less staff time spent reprocessing instruments, being more compliant with OSHA regulations, and a new simplified inventory management process.
Ian Shriver, Dental Assistant and Practice Manager at Stonehaven Dental said of Color Method, “...color makes it easy to find everything. Just grab a tray set-up, a tub, and GO! We have improved on ordering supplies now that everything has a place and it’s no longer stocked in multiple areas. Color Method elevates the confidence of our team members, and the overall experience for our patients’ appointments.”
It’s no wonder Zirc’s Color Method is considered the gold standard of organization and keeps giving dentists and their teams a reason to smile.