What is sterilisation and why is it so important in the dental field and other branches of medicine? Sterilisation, in general, is the removal of all microbes and other germ particles from any type of equipment that has been in contact with any hazardous material. For instance, sterilisation in dentistry means all instruments and tools that the dentist used on any of his patients should be sterilised before using it on another patient. Even in hospitals, the high cost of medical equipment makes sterilising them an ideal method not just to destroy and kill disease-causing microbes, but it is also cost-effective in maintaining the integrity of their tools and equipment.
Autoclave Use For Dental Sterilisation
One of the most common and effective ways in sterilising in dental practice is through the use of an autoclave. This instrument is a well-known sanitation device because it makes sure that microbes not eliminated by basic disinfection methods will be destroyed. You can see this machine not just in dental clinics but also in hospitals, medical institutions, research facilities, pharmaceutical companies, and even tattoo parlours that use sterilised needles on their clients.
How To Use A Dental Autoclave?
A dental autoclave works the same way as the other autoclaves in that it also follows the same process. A dental autoclave is different only in the size because it has to specifically fit the general instruments and dentist tools that need to be sanitised. Brands like MELAG Autoclaves offer different benefits to dental professionals to ensure that they are choosing the most suitable autoclave type for their practice.
Here is a general procedure on how to use an autoclave to sterilise your dental instruments.
1. Make sure that all the dental instruments that you are going to autoclave are already cleaned using a disinfecting solution and all debris have been removed.
2. Load the dental instruments properly into your autoclave.
–They must be laid flat and should not overlap to make sure that the steam and heat are delivered equally to the instruments.
–Tools with hinges must be opened to expose all the surface area to the steam. Use sterile perforated trays to pack instruments.
–Do not overload. Overpacking the autoclave cannot ensure the efficiency of sterilisation.
3. Check the different components of the autoclave to make sure that it is working properly. The storage tank should have sufficient water to use as steam.
4. Choose the appropriate cycle you should use for sterilisation. Based on the amount and type of instruments inside, there are specific adjustments in steam and temperature that you need to monitor to make sure that the autoclave is performing its duty accordingly.
5. Once the autoclave cycle is done, check indicators and initialise printer readout or display to confirm that sterilisation has taken place. File or upload records to the database to accurately track sterilisation and ensure consistent hygienic practices across your dental facility. Make sure that the wrapped instruments and other sterilised items are kept unexposed to the outside environment unless they are to be in use. Unwrapped items should be kept in a sterile container to maintain their sterility.
6. Initiate the cleaning of the autoclave and inspect different parts of the device to maintain its integrity.
