Front loading autoclave for dental clinics? Choosing the right steam sterilizer for your practice

18-11-2022

Dental clinics, like any other medical facility, need to tackle the issue of waste management every day. Not to mention hospitals and dentists all need to use tools that are properly treated before the treatment of patients.

Thankfully, with the appearance of autoclaves, medical facilities of all sizes can now have access to a reliable on-site solution that enables their staff to work more efficiently and provide a safe working environment for their patients as well.

Sooner or later, each dental practice needs to answer the question: what type of steam sterilizer should I choose for my clinic? In Celitron’s next article, you will learn more about the advantages of front-loading autoclaves!


What are front-loading autoclaves?

Front-loading autoclaves also use high-temperature steam as a source to sterilize medical waste and certain medical tools, just like other “steam sterilizers”. As their name indicates, these models need to be loaded from the front. This is why they are also known as “horizontal autoclaves”, as the door of their chamber can be loaded with materials horizontally.

In contrast, vertical steam sterilizers are loaded vertically, through their lid found at the top of the machine.


Front-loading autoclaves in dental practices and hospitals – The steam sterilization process

Whether an autoclave is a front-loading model or not, all steam sterilizers use high-temperature steam under pressure to destroy foreign materials present on the surface of medical waste or items like surgical tools and dental equipment. After the materials are loaded inside their chamber, the doors need to be closed for the steam sterilization process to begin. Steam is then introduced inside the closed chamber to gradually force the air out.

Air hinders the reliability and speed of this process, which is why it needs to leave the autoclave’s chamber, so that steam may have direct contact with the load inside.

After a set amount of time (depending on the type of autoclave, steam sterilization cycle, and the size of the load inside),medical staff need to be aware that opening the door of the front-loading autoclave may still be dangerous, as dental equipment and other materials will still need to dry and cool down.

Afterward, dentists are free to use the treated equipment again without any risk of infection, or throw away medical waste like regular waste, since it will already be sterile.


What kind of front-loading autoclave should a dental clinic or a hospital choose?

There are a lot of different steam sterilizers to choose from. The differences not only lie in size but in performance (such as versatility and speed).

Here are a couple of features that dental clinics and hospitals should definitely prioritize when choosing a front-loading autoclave:

Vacuum-based cycles (class B autoclaves). Instead of relying solely on denser steam to force the air out, a vacuum pump can suck all the air out before steam is introduced inside the chamber. This results in more reliable and faster sterilization cycles, but also greater versatility. Apart from flat dental tools, porous and textile items, as well as wrapped and unwrapped dental instruments can also be treated. With temperatures ranging between 121 and 134 degrees Celsius, even heat-resistant foreign materials can be destroyed.

Cylindrical chambers, 316L stainless steel. Cylindrical chambers are usually more suited to high-pressure environments and do not require as much insulation and reinforcement, not to mention they suffer less wear and tear as the years go by. This reliability and durability are one of the greatest benefits of front-loading autoclaves like Celitron’s machines – all of our steam sterilizer chambers and doors are made of surgical-grade 316L stainless steel. Cylindrical vessels can also improve steam circulation, thus helping in avoiding cold pockets and assuring complete steam sterilization without failed loads or overly long cycle times.


How do I benefit from choosing Celitron’s front-loading dental autoclaves?

Celitron is proud to be able to provide dental clinics and hospitals with front-loading autoclaves that combine the benefits of sustainable technology with reliable performance.

  • Our front-loading autoclaves can be easily operated by the staff of dental clinics and other medical facilities. No special training is required, but do follow the manufacturer’s instructions always, regardless of the model you buy!
  • Our steam sterilizers also come with special energy-saving systems to make sure you can operate them profitably.
  • Self and remote diagnosis capabilities make maintenance much easier.
  • The sterilization of dental instruments can be completed in cycles as fast as 20 minutes.
  • Completely automatic operation that can be launched with the push of a button – you won’t even have to close and open the door manually.
  • Extra safety features to make sure the door of the front-loading autoclave cannot be opened until pressure and temperature levels aren’t back to normal.
  • Level 3 biosafety requirements can be met with Celitron’s front-loading autoclaves.

What types of front-loading autoclaves can I purchase from Celitron?

At Celitron, regardless of the size of the front-loading autoclave you choose, you can expect the same reliable performance. The right model for your facility mostly depends on how much available space you have to install a new steam sterilizer machine, how many dental tools you use for the treatment of patients in a day, and how frequently you need to sterilize them.

We offer 2 main types of vacuum-based, class B steam sterilizers for more moderately sized facilities like dental practices:

  1. Sting 11B Premium small front-loading autoclaves – chamber capacity: 25 liters.
  2. Azteca AC medium front-loading autoclaves – chamber capacity: 75 - 200 liters.

Medium autoclaves are also ideal for hospitals that need a secondary steam sterilizer or an on-site solution for operating theaters. We also offer large front-loading autoclaves for hospitals.


Front-loading autoclaves with cylindrical chambers are one of the best choices for dental clinics and hospitals. 316L stainless steel models like Celitron’s class B steam sterilizers are extremely durable and cost-effective to operate and maintain. They also offer more versatility by being able to sterilize more complex loads as well.

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