Sterilisation Department
Every day our work brings us into contact with people who may, quite unknowingly, be carrying a transmittable infection. The medic must thereforeprotect both patients and staff from potential cross infections, i.e. those transmitted from the patient to the instruments and from these onto staff or other patients.
To achieve this goal, action must be taken on multiple fronts:
- Disposable materials must be used to the maximum extent possible; bibs, glasses/beakers, saliva ejectors, gloves, masks, etc.
- Pre-packaged instrument kit – sterile, for each procedure; at the end of every visit the instruments must recommence the sterilisation cycle, which at our practice is codified as follows:
- Instruments are placed in an ultrasonic bath with disinfecting liquids and specialist detergents.
- Instruments are then placed in a thermal disinfection machine (a type of washing machine which is especially effective for the disinfection of rotating instruments) on a washing cycle at 95°C with a duration of approximately 55 minutes.
- The instruments are dried and repacked in their trays, on which thermo-sensitive labels are placed, indicating the date of sterilisation and the date on which the sterilisation expires.
- The instruments undergo a cycle in a class B autoclave. Every cycle is checked by special indicators and tests to ensure the process is carried out correctly. Other tests are carried out on a weekly basis and a spore test is carried out monthly. All the data pertaining to these tests is available for viewing by patients at the surgeries.
- Other measures adopted in the work environment are:
- Disinfection of the dentist chair and other contact surfaces with specialist cleaning fluids for every change of patient*.
- Isolation, through disposable plastic coverings, of the things that come into contact with the patient that cannot be placed in the autoclave.
- A combination of cutting edge technologies which include a disinfectant system for the insides of water bearing tubes and a system especially designed for the prevention of back-flow in rotating instruments.
* Our surgeries follow the disinfection and cleaning plan set out in DURR SYSTEM HYGIENE.