Technical data

10
Cleaning: The Most Important Step
Without proper cleaning, sterilization is
not possible. A clean and debris-free
surface is required during steam
sterilization, allowing steam to contact
all instrument surfaces. Tests have
demonstrated that bacteria can survive
a steam sterilization cycle if they are
protected under dried debris. The Miele
Thermal Disinfector provides superior
cleaning, virtually eliminating the need to
manually scrub an instrument.
Top photo: Featured is the G 7881 with optional
Stainless Steel Décor Panel.
A log-reduction factor of 8 means that from
100,000,000 microorganisms, it is likely for
one organism to survive, i. e. the microbial
contamination is reduced by 99.999999%.
The Miele G 7881 Dental Thermal
Disinfector achieves a log-reduction factor
of 8.
Caring for Our Environment
Although environmental concerns should
not decrease infection control standards, it
is always preferable to choose equipment
that provides an environmentally friendly
method. Chemical agents used in thermal
disinfection usually put a lesser burden
on our environment than chemical
disinfectants.
In the interest of maintaining the highest
possible standard of efficiency and
safety, the following steps are widely
accepted by the dental profession:
Disinfection is Not Sterilization
Disinfection is generally a less lethal
process than sterilization. It eliminates
virtually all recognized pathogenic
microorganisms but not necessarily all
microbial forms (e.g. bacterial endospores)
on inanimate objects. Disinfection does
not ensure an overkill, and therefore
disinfection processes lack the margin
of safety achieved by sterilization
procedures. Hence, disinfection processes
cannot replace sterilization.
Disinfection efficiency is measured by the
log-reduction factor. A log-reduction factor
of 1 indicates that from 10 organisms, it is
likely for one organism to survive on
instrument surfaces. The microbial
population is reduced by 90%.
Systematic Protection from Infection
Safety and Infection Control fo r the Dental Staff,
the Dental Patient, and Our Environment