Any successful infection control protocol will include the use of an autoclave to sterilise instruments. However, there are a number of considerations that dental practices should take into account when establishing or upgrading their instrument reprocessing protocol.
Meeting the needs of unique practices
One important factor to consider may be easily overlooked: having sufficient numbers and types of autoclaves for the specific practice. In terms of numbers, the below should be used as a practical benchmark:
| NUMBER OF SURGERIES | NUMBER OF AUTOCLAVES |
| 1–2 | 1 (2 preferred, for resilience) |
| 3–5 | 2 |
| 6–8 | 3 |
| 9–12 | 4 or more, depending on throughput |
As suggested, in practices with 1-2 surgeries, it’s favourable to have a minimum of 2 autoclaves to minimise the risk of downtime during equipment maintenance, servicing, or in the unfortunate event of breakdown.
Additionally, it can be very helpful to have more than one type of autoclave available in the practice, to fulfil different purposes.
Usually, autoclaves of standard sizes will be used, allowing the team to reprocess numerous instruments at the same time. Eschmann offers a selection of top-quality autoclaves to meet this need, from the Little Sister range:
The Little Sister SES 3020B Vacuum Autoclave has a 23-litre capacity chamber. This enables more instruments to be processed at once, as well as larger instruments (up to 370 mm in length), whilst still being able to fit onto a standard sized work surface. For added flexibility, B-type autoclaves offer the choice of both ‘B’ and ‘N’ type cycles to accommodate every type of instrument and load.
Both the Little Sister SES 3000B Vacuum Autoclave and Little Sister SES 2020N Non-vacuum Autoclave offer a 17-litre chamber to accommodate 5 x standard trays (28 cm x 18 cm), 10 x examination trays or 10 x HFiT cassettes.
And finally, the Little Sister SES 2010 Touchscreen Non-vacuum Autoclave has a 11 Litre capacity.
Autoclaves of these capacities help to improve productivity in the practice and reduce the strain on the team – meeting the needs of a busy dental setting.
Small but mighty
Clinicians should consider the unique needs of their individual practices. In many cases, there will be a number of instruments that are required far more frequently than others. For these, a smaller autoclave can be incredibly useful, supporting your larger machines to work quickly in between larger loads.
Smaller chambers typically cycle far more quickly than standard autoclave sizes, for urgent needs, ensuring a fast turnaround in between appointments when you need it. By having a small autoclave available alongside a large one, teams can select the equipment based on their needs – large loads use the bigger autoclave, small or ad-hoc loads require the smaller one. This process also helps to reduce bottlenecks, enabling the team to run an extra load simultaneously, rather than waiting on a cycle to finish before starting a new one.
The STATIM G4 Cassette Autoclaves from Eschmann offer cycle times of as little as 6.45 minutes*, for the rapid sterilisation of key instruments. They are designed for practices of all sizes, combining innovative cassette autoclave technology with reliable, gentle instrument care.
Protect your investments
Importantly, protecting your investments will ensure that equipment is operating as it should for as long as possible. That’s why Eschmann offers Care & Cover plans, providing unrivalled service, in addition to dedicated support from a nationwide team of engineers. Care & Cover includes:
- Annual Validation & Pressure Vessel Certification
- Annual Service & Software Upgrade
- Unlimited Breakdown Cover
- Unlimited Parts & Labour
- Nationwide On-site Support
- Enhanced CPD User Training
- Technical Telephone Support
To build a reliable infection control protocol, you need a partner that understands the unique needs of dental workflows, and can offer the solutions, service, and support required. Contact Eschmann today to find out more.
For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of decontamination solutions available from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322
*cycle times dependent on load.
