Designed to ensure infection control and meet mandated sterilization and sanitation requirements, sterilization products include autoclaves/sterilizers and ultrasonic cleaners, autoclave tape, and sterilization packaging.
Sterilization consists of cleaning, rinsing, drying, and wrapping. The most commonly used dental sterilizers (autoclaves) use steam (up to 270° F) in 6- to 30-minute cycles. Chemical and dry heat sterilizers eliminate moisture from the process, and ultrasonic cleaners employ cavitation action to create a cleaning turbulence that disrupts/removes debris.
Autoclave tapes/sterilization indicators are used with autoclave, dry heat and chemical sterilizers to seal autoclave bags, tubing, pouches, and CSR wraps, and indicate when sterile conditions have been achieved.
Sterilization packaging—an FDA-regulated medical device—maintains instrument sterility during storage and transport to chairside, and is used with chemical and biological monitors. Designed with built-in internal and external indicators that ensure sterilization temperatures in the autoclave chamber and instrument compartment, sterilization pouches eliminate the need for internal indicator strips. Instrument cassettes, made of stainless steel, aluminum or resin, withstand steam, chemical and dry heat sterilization, and ultrasonic cleaning. Cassettes reduce direct handling of contaminated instruments and keep instruments together throughout the sterilization process. Sterilization wrap provides a barrier against air and waterborne bacteria, and maximizes penetration by conforming easily around various cassette shapes and sizes.
There are 2 universal truths about cleaning, whether you’re washing dishes at home or sterilizing instruments in your dental practice. First, it’s important to follow a workflow or process. Second, cleaning debris is a necessary step before sterilization. As the infection control specialists at SciCan say, “If it’s not clean, it can’t be...
So, Dr. Dentist, do you know all there is to know about infection control in the dental practice? Are you keeping up with policies and regulations? I’m guessing your answer is “no.” Or, it could be that you think you’re on top of it all, but you’re really not. And I don’t say that because I think you lack an understanding of how critical...
Infection prevention in the dental setting is so critical that refreshers and reminders are never redundant and should never be ignored. With that piece of critical info in your head, let’s take a little test. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which of the following is considered a “critical” item? a. periodontal...
As in the award-winning BRAVO Class B, fractionated vacuum chamber autoclaves from SciCan Inc, which are on a special promotion until the end of the month. BRAVO has both pre-vac (to remove air) and post-vac (to facilitate drying) cycles, which regulate the amount of steam penetration perfect for any type of load. The BRAVO line, which comes in...
Sterilization pouch technology has advanced to the point where they could be called “smart” with their built-in interior and exterior indicators for determining successful completion of the sterilization process. Whether they are paper, plastic, or other synthetic materials, pouches allow the bacteria-killing chemicals, heat, steam, or vapor...
There probably isn’t a person in the dental industry who hasn’t thought, while sitting in a dental chair, about the possibility of disease transmission (or even just the common cold) through the medium of dental instruments. The general population also is well aware of the potential for this, especially if they are healthcare workers or remember...
