Reprocessing instruments in dental practices – what’s the best approach?

Automated instrument reprocessing boosts efficiency. Manual cleaning and disinfecting require meticulous attention and time, especially in practices where instrument sets are reused multiple times a day. Entrusting these tasks to professional machines enables dental assistants to focus on patients, employing their time productively and delivering value for the whole practice.

Machines such as Miele Professional’s thermal disinfectors, which are especially designed for dental instruments, offer specific programmes and flexible combinations of baskets and inserts: This enables reprocessing high volumes and different types of instruments in a single cycle without compromising on quality results. For example, when dedicated inserts are used, our undercounter thermal disinfectors wash the basic instruments sets¹ used to treat 160 patients in only four cycles. That means a selection of 480 instruments in total.

In our endeavour to support all dental clinics regardless of the number of treatments they perform daily, at Miele Professional we have developed thermal disinfectors of a wide range of sizes, spanning from small benchtop machines through to undercounter and large-chamber washers. 

Automated reprocessing solutions, including thermal disinfectors, have been proven to reduce the environmental footprint of dental practices. Optimised programmes offer control over water usage, temperature, and chemical dosing, avoiding waste while delivering maximum cleaning and disinfection results. Miele Professional’s undercounter thermal disinfectors, for example, use steam condensing that contributes to up to 40% less water usage compared to machines without this technology. Made of 90% recycled steel and tested to operate 15,000 hours, the washer disinfectors by Miele Professional are made to last. This reduces lifetime costs and provides reassurance to dental practices that their equipment will support them in the years to come.