Sterilization is one of the many skills of a dental practice. After being used, the instruments are cleaned, sterilized and packaged. The sterilization system of a dental office has no reason to be ashamed of that of a hospital because in reality they are the same techniques and the same machines.
Here are the different steps necessary to sterilize instruments.
Pre-disinfection
First of all, the instruments used after your visit are collected by the dental assistant and are stored in a pre-disinfection bin located at the entrance to the sterilization room. This step is used to first eliminate traces of residue, salivary proteins, dental materials or glues.
The disinfection tank is equipped with an ultrasonic tank . At the end of the soaking, the ultrasonic tank is activated for around fifteen minutes. The vibrations of the tank agitate the instruments. This helps remove any residue stuck to the instruments. We are thus certain that the instruments do not become clogged over time, this keeps them smooth and shiny as on the first day.
Rinsing
Following this first soak, the instruments are rinsed with clean water to remove the residue released by the ultrasound.
Washing
Then the instruments are placed in a machine called a thermo-disinfector . Like a dishwasher, the dental assistant places the instruments and equipment in the baskets provided for each type of instrument. A thermo-disinfection cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes, the temperature reaches 90°C. The machine ends its cycle with a drying step.
Once the thermo-disinfector cycle is complete, the cleaned and dried instruments are transferred to the “clean” area of the sterilization room. At this stage, no manipulation of the instrument is permitted; it must be kept perfectly clean. The dental assistant wears gloves to avoid depositing organic particles on the instruments.
The conditioning
The instruments are first placed in bags, which are hermetically sealed by an automatic sealer .
Sterilization
The bags containing the instruments are placed in an autoclave . The autoclave is a box which rises and maintains a temperature of 134°C at a pressure of 2.2 bar for 20 minutes . It is during this stage that germs, microorganisms, viruses and prions are destroyed.
Storage
Once the temperature has cooled down, the bags can be stored in the drawers. A witness indicates and confirms that the instruments contained inside the bag have been sterilized. The bag will be opened only when using the instruments, at the last moment, so as to maintain the sterile state even during their transport and storage in the drawers of the dental office. If a bag is damaged or opened, the instruments are returned to the very beginning of the sterilization chain.
Disinfection and sterilization rules are established by the authorities and the machines meet strict standards. However, each step must be scrupulously carried out and none should be skipped. Mistakes are not allowed.
This is why at the Biodental Tournai dental office we have chosen high-performance machines which automate the different stages as much as possible. This prevents handling errors and makes the dental assistant's work more comfortable.
Did you know ?
The dentist's instruments, as basic as they are like the simple mirror used to look into the mouth, are in reality objects of complex design. The design and materials are chosen to ensure optimal sterilization and durability over time. A poor quality instrument does not withstand too frequent sterilization cycles and ends up wearing out prematurely and becoming unusable.
Surgical instruments have evolved significantly during the 20th century and continue to evolve in parallel with sterilization techniques, which are increasingly demanding. It would be likely that an instrument from the 1960s would not withstand a few sterilization cycles of our time as techniques have evolved since then.