Dental instrument reprocessing

Medical instruments must subscribe to the most stringent of hygiene standards in order to minimize the risk of users and patients contracting infections. Process chemicals used in cleaning must not only excel in terms of the results they produce, they must also be gentle on materials. If hygiene standards are not met, instruments must be sent through the cleaning process once again, wasting the valuable time and labor of staff members. Aggressive chemical products can, on the other hand, cause corrosion on instruments, making expensive repairs necessary and, in the worst case, requiring the replacement and premature repurchase of damaged instruments. According to Sinner's Circle, the efficacy of cleaning is dependent on the key factors of mechanical action, chemistry, temperature, and time. Process chemicals must, therefore, be balanced against the other three variables in machine-based reprocessing in a washer-disinfector in order to fully enhance the process. With its own-brand process chemicals, Miele is rounding off its comprehensive portfolio, which focuses on the reprocessing of medical instruments – from machines purpose-built for medical reprocessing to expert after-sales service.

In a washer-disinfector, loads to be reprocessed are cleaned in a wash liquor containing process chemicals. After that, any residual chemicals are neutralized by rinsing with a neutralizing agent. In addition to this, ProCare Dent process chemicals serve the purpose of curtailing drying times and rinsing loads. When reprocessing standard instruments (e.g., scalers, probes, mouth mirrors, suction extractors), the conventional combination of alkaline detergent and a neutralizing agent based on phosphoric acid is used.
If, at the same time, transmission instruments require reprocessing, this is best done using a combination of mildly alkaline detergent and a neutralizing agent based on citric acid. The reason for this gentler approach is that transmission instruments, alongside stainless steel, contain other materials, such as aluminum and titanium, which need to be treated with detergent with a higher pH value. In each case, however, instructions for use issued by the manufacturer of dental instruments according to EN 17664 must take precedence.

ProCare Dent is tailored to the needs of dental instruments and even intricate equipment such as hand-pieces, contra-angles, and turbines. Similarly, each load contains items of varying shapes and sizes and is made from a range of materials; therefore, the process chemicals chosen must do justice to all items in the load. The avoidance of corrosive ingredients such as chlorine ensures the gentle treatment of instruments made from multiple materials. With good rinsing properties, excellent results are achieved in combination with the efficient use of water. ProCare Dent process chemicals are classified as medical products and are provided with a recommendation on concentrations in use, which are beneficial from both an economical and an ecological viewpoint. Machines and process chemicals from Miele are carefully coordinated with a view to achieving optimum results.