Are class B autoclaves the best choice for the sterilization of dental equipment?
24-06-2021
The sterilization of medical instruments is just as important in smaller dental clinics as it is in larger medical facilities. Autoclaves (also known as steam sterilizers) play a large role in ensuring a safe working environment for patients and staff alike, by ridding dental tools and equipment of any potentially hazardous foreign material, and thus drastically reducing the risks of infections. Celitron is well placed to know about their popularity: our class B dental autoclaves are present in over 40 countries all over the world.
Still, not all steam sterilizers are the same. How are some better than others? Read on and find out more about why class B dental autoclaves represent one of the best solutions available on the market!
What kind of dental autoclaves can a dentistry choose apart from class B models?
Class N autoclaves are among the simplest models you can currently find on the market. They remove the air from their chambers through gravity (and only a certain portion of it). If you only need to sterilize flat dental instruments they can be a good choice but don’t expect to be able to treat any item with holes, cannulas, or even bagged dental tools.
Class S autoclaves are still slower than class B autoclaves, but they are already able to remove all air from inside their chamber using a wall of steam denser than the air inside the steam sterilizer. They are also more versatile than class N autoclaves but are still unable to sterilize medical textile items.
Why should a dentistry choose a class B dental autoclave for the sterilization of their instruments?
The main reason why class N and class S autoclaves are not recommended for most dental clinics is that they lack the versatility of the more advanced class B models. As opposed to the other models, class B dental autoclaves use a powerful vacuum pump to remove all the air from their chamber, which allows the steam they use to sterilize every part of the instruments inside. This enables them to treat wrapped and unwrapped instruments, porous items, as well as medical textile products.
As a bonus, they are also capable of much faster sterilization and drying cycles, enabling medical staff to work much more efficiently.
What to look out for when using an autoclave for dental sterilization
Acquire the required protective equipment!
Handling instruments that could potentially carry a risk of infection before being sterilized will also require you to have the right protective equipment. Apart from face masks and safety eyewear, chemical and puncture-resistant gloves are a must-have for all dental clinics.
Clean your instruments before subjugating them to steam!
You should always clean and dry your dental tools before loading them inside your autoclave, otherwise the steam may not be able to sterilize all of their surface. Also, if you have a particularly busy dental office, and you do not always have the time to clean your tools right away, remember to pre-soak them to prevent blood other biological debris from hardening on your instruments.
Do not overload your autoclave!
While it may seem like a good idea to squeeze in as many dental instruments as possible inside the chamber of your autoclave, this can easily result in longer sterilization cycles or prevent the too closely packed tools inside from coming into contact with enough steam.
How do Celitron’s class B dental autoclaves work?
Our class B dental autoclaves use a powerful vacuum pump to remove the air inside their chamber, creating the ideal environment for steam sterilization. By raising the pressure in the chamber, they are simultaneously able to raise the boiling point of water, which enables the steam to reach temperatures well over 100 degrees Celsius: during the dental steam sterilization process, Celitron’s class B autoclaves operate with high-temperature steam that ranges between 121 and 134 degrees Celsius.
This allows them to kill any and all potentially infectious foreign materials present on dental tools and equipment, which can then be safely used again for the treatment of patients.
The process is completely automatic. After loading the tools inside our dental autoclave’s chamber, the sterilization process can be launched with the push of a few buttons, and after about 20 minutes (depending on the load inside),the instruments inside will be sterilized, dried, and ready to be taken out of the chamber.
Thanks to special safety features, the doors of Celitron’s class B dental autoclaves cannot be opened while temperature levels are too high and the chamber is pressurized, which helps medical staff avoid unwanted incidents.
The benefits of using Celitron’s class B dental autoclaves for the sterilization of medical tools
Apart from the advantages listed above, there are many other benefits you can expect by choosing Celitron’s class B autoclaves for your dental clinic. These include:
- Capacities that suit dental clinics of all sizes. Whether you’re a smaller or a larger dentistry, Celitron can also provide dentistries with smaller tabletop autoclaves, so that everyone may find the model most suited to the amount of tools they need to be sterilized each day. Our smaller models are ideal for clinics who do not have as much space to spare. The capacity of our medium steam sterilizers ranges from 75 to 200 liters, and the capacity of our benchtop autoclaves is 25 liters.
- Cost-effective and environmentally friendly operation. With advanced water and energy-saving systems, Celitron’s dental steam sterilizers allow your clinic to reduce its environmental footprint alongside your operational costs.
- Modern and easy to use technology. The “one touch” and fully automated operation allows staff to use our class B dental autoclaves without any sort of previous technical qualification. Our steam sterilizers also include an LCD touch-screen display, self and remote diagnosis capabilities for easier maintenance, as well as the option for a PC connection to allow you to document your operations.
As you can see, there are many benefits to using a class B dental autoclave: their sterilization capabilities are much more versatile compared to other models, and they can be customized to suit the needs of smaller and larger dental clinics alike. Not to mention they make the best out of modern technology: be sure to check out Celitron’s website for more technical specs about our dental steam sterilizers!