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Dental practice equipment compliance calendar
Every servicing, testing and inspection interval for the equipment in a UK dental practice, on one page — with the statutory obligations clearly separated from manufacturer recommendations. Built to be printed and kept in the compliance folder.
Read this first. Several of the intervals below are set by documents specific to your practice — most importantly your Written Scheme of Examination, which determines your pressure vessel inspection frequency. Where that is the case it is marked. This calendar is a planning aid, not a substitute for your own WSE, your manufacturer schedules, or advice from your Radiation Protection Adviser.
Daily
| Task | Equipment | Who | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic control test | All benchtop sterilisers | Operator | Statutory |
| Steam penetration test (Helix or Bowie-Dick) | Vacuum sterilisers only | Operator | Statutory |
| Record every sterilisation cycle | Autoclaves | Operator | Statutory |
| Drain condensate from receiver | Compressor | Practice | Essential |
| Flush suction lines | Suction system | Practice | Manufacturer |
The condensate drain is the one that quietly stops happening. It takes under a minute, it is nobody's named job, and it is behind a large share of the moisture faults we attend.
Weekly and monthly
| Task | Equipment | Interval | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep clean of suction lines and traps | Suction system | Per manufacturer | Manufacturer |
| Check amalgam separator level | Amalgam separator | Per manufacturer | Manufacturer |
| Safety and function checks | Autoclaves | Weekly | Per HTM 01-05 |
| Visual inspection of hoses and fittings | Chairs, compressor | Monthly | Good practice |
Annual and periodic
This is the layer that gets missed, because each item sits with a different supplier and renews on a different date.
| Task | Equipment | Interval | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure vessel inspection (PVI) | Compressor, autoclave | As set by your Written Scheme of Examination | Statutory — PSSR 2000 |
| Compressor service and filter change | Compressor | Annually | Manufacturer |
| Autoclave validation | Autoclaves | At installation, then annually | Statutory |
| Washer-disinfector validation | AWD | At installation, then annually | Statutory |
| X-ray performance testing | All X-ray equipment | At regular intervals, and after any maintenance capable of affecting performance | Statutory — IRMER17 |
| Critical examination | New or modified X-ray equipment | Before first clinical use | Statutory — IRR17 |
| Amalgam separator service | Amalgam separator | Annually, with written proof | Statutory |
| Suction system service | Suction | Annually | Manufacturer |
| Dental chair service | Chairs | Typically 6–12 months | Manufacturer |
| PAT testing | Portable electrical equipment | Risk-based | Good practice |
Records: how long to keep what
| Record | Retention |
|---|---|
| Autoclave cycle records | Minimum two years |
| Pressure vessel inspection certificates | Keep current certificate; retain history |
| Amalgam separator service proof | Retain as compliance evidence |
| X-ray testing and critical examination reports | Retain for the life of the equipment |
| Equipment service reports | Retain for the life of the equipment |
The three that catch practices out
1. Assuming the service covers the pressure vessel inspection
They are separate pieces of work with separate certification. A practice can be diligently servicing its compressor every year and still have no valid PVI. Check your contract names both.
2. Not knowing what the Written Scheme of Examination says
The WSE, prepared by a competent person, is what sets your inspection frequency. There is no single universal interval that applies to every practice — the only one that applies to you is the one in your document. If you cannot lay hands on it, that is the first thing to fix.
3. Treating X-ray testing as a single annual event
IRMER17 requires testing before first clinical use, at regular intervals thereafter, and after any maintenance capable of affecting performance. That last clause catches practices out: a repair can trigger a re-test obligation that nothing in the annual calendar will remind you about.
Want this consolidated onto one schedule?
Most practices are running six schedules across four suppliers, which is exactly where gaps appear. Tell us what equipment you have and we will map it onto a single calendar — whether or not you use us to service it.
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