Manual cleaning of dental instruments can be time-consuming and an ineffective form of pre-sterilisation if not performed correctly. Ultrasonic baths, also known as ultrasonic cleaners, are a great way of minimising the need for manual cleaning and improving overall efficiency.

What Is An Ultrasonic Bath?

An ultrasonic bath is a stainless-steel machine used to clean items with high frequency sound waves. In a dental practice ultrasonic cleaners are traditionally used for the cleaning and reprocessing of dental instruments, such as mirrors, probes and scalers.

How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?

Ultrasonic cleaning uses ultrasound to safely enhance and intensify the cleaning process. The sound waves created are incredibly powerful and create masses of microscopic bubbles in the liquid, known as cavitation bubbles. These bubbles grow as they vibrate and eventually implode. This process creates a scrubbing effect within the liquid which destroys and separates all surface contamination on any items the liquid comes into contact with, including intricate areas like hinges. This process usually takes between 5-10 minutes but varies depending on the size of the load and competency of the cleaner. Once the cycle has finished the instruments should be removed, rinsed under cold water and left to dry prior to being sterilised in an autoclave.

A reservoir drainage facility that does not affect performance and does not leave pools of fluid in the reservoir

Choosing an ultrasonic bath with a built-in drain can make the draining process easier and safer for staff. Ultrasonic cleaners not fitted with a draining facility require a staff member to lift the bath up to drain the water. Doing this can be awkward, dangerous and increases the risk of cross contamination.

A hinged auto-locking lid that prevents interaction with the load once the ultrasonic equipment is in use

This is one of the most important features that any ultrasonic cleaner can have. Lockable lids ensure that dental instruments cannot be loaded or taken out whilst the cycle is in operation. This is very important for validation purposes as it eliminates the chances of invalidating a cycle by opening the lid. Lockable lids also help to minimises noise and prevent airborne contaminates escaping the cleaner.

Thermostatic control

Dental instrument cleaning should occur at no higher than 45°C to prevent the baking and coagulation of bioburden and proteins on the instruments. Most modern ultrasonic cleaners allow you to control the temperature and adjust if necessary. The unit’s display screen should ideally show the minimum and maximum temperatures and display a warning if the temperature gets too high or too low. Other settings that are often user-adjustable include cycle time, ultrasonic power and frequency.