Dentists around the UK have been warned that old magazines might be responsible for the spread of bacteria. Officials from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body that regulates the NHS, are advising that they be thrown out after one week.
Other recommendations include the phasing out of Blu-Tak in waiting rooms and the re-upholstering of seating cushions to comply with NHS standards.
Dorset dentist Monica Symes told the BBC "It all seemed a bit over the top". Since the compulsory CQC registration for dentists came in, many dental hygiene workers have complained about being bogged down in bureaucracy.
The CQC, however, says that Blu-Tak and magazines are definitively not banned from waiting rooms.