10 things a dentist should know before buying a sterilizer

The European Norm EN 13060 is THE reference norm for small steam sterilizers.

It is the practice owner’s responsibility (so not necessarily the end-user’s) to ensure that the selected cycle is suitable for the load to be sterilized. Cycle selection errors can lead to non-sterile products and the risk of infection.

Only B-type cycles provide safe sterilization of all load types.

S-type cycles are designed for a limited selection of loads which must be specified by the manufacturer. N-type cycles can only process unwrapped solid products.

Using a sterilizer that provides exclusively B-type cycles removes the risk of the user selecting an inappropriate cycle for the load type. This provides excellent legal cover for a practice.

Before buying what is advertised as a B-type sterilizer, make sure that all cycles are B-type. Some may feature short “flash” cycles that do not include drying and cannot sterilize more difficult loads.

Make sure B-type cycles are not too long. Safe B-type sterilization takes time but good brands with state-of-the-art technology offer B cycles between 20 and 40 minutes.

According to EN 13060, intensive testing called a ‘works test’ should be performed on each sterilizer before it is released. The end-user should receive a copy of this.

The end-user should also receive both PED (pressure equipment directive) and MDD (medical device directive) Declarations of Conformity.

Watch out for running costs (e.g. consumables, electricity and water consumption). A cheaper product might not result in long-term savings.