Big? Small? Smart? What do you want in your next sterilizer?

What are you reprocessing?

If it’s wrapped instrument cassettes, pouched instruments, hollows and handpieces, consider an autoclave with dynamic air removal. Whether it uses pressure pulse or vacuum technology, you’ll want a sterilizer that gets all the air out of the tiny spaces inside those instruments before steam enters the chamber. Then, when steam is introduced, it fills every crook, coil and crevice where microorganisms can hide.

How big? Why size matters

If you’re reprocessing a lot of this load type, you’ll want to consider capacity. Most practices will look to a chamber autoclave to do most of the work. The SciCan BRAVO G4, an entirely redesigned version of the Classic BRAVO, has a 10-inch chamber and is available in two sizes. The 17-litre version can process an average hollow load in 47 minutes and holds a maximum of three full-size cassettes or 20 pouches. The 22-litre BRAVO G4 has the same diameter but can handle longer oral surgery cassettes or 25 pouches.

How small? When you don’t want to wait

Some dentists also choose to have a smaller, nimbler sterilizer able to process smaller batches rather than waiting to fill a chamber autoclave — and for many practices, that’s a SciCan STATIM 5000 G4. While the look has changed over the years, inside, STATIM still uses a reliable, innovative steam technology developed 30 years ago that has helped it become one the world’s best-selling autoclaves.

How smart? Going on record

Automating your recordkeeping is an easy way to make sure you remain compliant with your local health regulations. Having cloud-based storage provides that extra step of data security. SciCan equipment use G4 technology to monitor and store every aspect of every cycle for the lifetime of the unit. It can also set it up to store backups on the myCOLTENE cloud platform.

Whether it’s connectivity or capacity, having clarity on these issues will give you a solid starting point for your research. Good sterilizers can last more than a decade, so it’s important to measure not only what you need now, but what you think you will need as your practice grows.

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