Like all processes in the dental practice, any opportunity to automate, streamline and standardise procedures should be taken. Not only does this maintain high-quality workflows and excellent patient care, but it also saves the business significant time and money. Achieving this optimal level of efficiency requires effective planning, well-rounded team training and smart equipment implemented across the practice.
A prime opportunity for efficiency
The decontamination workflow presents a prime opportunity to utilise modern technology as a way of simplifying the team’s tasks, while also elevating both patient and professional safety. Maintaining infection control and prevention protocols is a crucial yet often thankless task for professionals, who must comply with strict regulations while facing the time pressures faced in the dental practice every day. This must also be balanced with time spent interacting with and supporting patients. As such, the more minutes saved during the decontamination process – without compromising quality or safety – the better and less rushed patient care can be.
Team training
One way for the team to better cope with these challenges is to be confident in their roles. Ongoing training is essential to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and in line with the latest professional guidelines and recommendations. Whether this is provided in-house or by an external source, it should be revisited on at least an annual basis to make sure all relevant members of the team understand their responsibilities. When they are confident in their skills and appreciate the importance of not cutting corners, higher decontamination standards can more consistently be achieved.
A gold-standard
Several technologies are utilised as part of the dental decontamination workflow today. The autoclave, for example, is the workhorse of every practice, consistently ensuring the sterilisation of reusable instruments. The solutions on the market today afford greater efficiency than they once did, with options like automatic data loggers removing a step for professionals and simplifying their to-do list.
The other piece of equipment at the heart of health and safety in the dental practice, is the washer disinfector. Mandatory in Scotland under SHTM 01-05,[i] the solution is considered best practice in England and Wales by HTM 01-05.[ii] Consequently, the washer disinfector will feature in every dental practice in the UK that strives to achieve Best Practice in patient safety and care.
The equipment elevates the equality of decontamination in a number of ways. It is superior to hand washing instruments because it affords an automated and validated workflow – a manual process could never be performed in exactly the same way twice in a row, unlike two cycles in the washer disinfector. This gives confidence that instruments are sufficiently cleaned and disinfected in preparation for sterilisation. It also provides a data trail that can be used as evidence of the practice’s compliance during an inspection or audit. Furthermore, the implementation of features like hands-free instrument trays removes the manual interaction with instruments, reducing the risk of needle stick injuries among staff too.
Save time and money
Beyond achieving validated standards of instrument cleaning, the humble washer disinfector also saves the team time. The minutes that would otherwise have been spent washing instruments by hand after every appointment are eliminated – and can be better spent with patients.
In an environment where time equals money, this is also a positive for the business’s profitability. The bottom line is optimised by the increase in productivity that is made possible with dependable automation. Leading brands of washer disinfectors can accommodate up to 360 instruments per cycle, offering a fast and efficient solution to cater for the needs of even the largest and busiest of practices.
The new Miele PWD 8682 underbench washer disinfector from Eschmann also performs heavy-duty cleaning, disinfection and drying in under an hour for this number of instruments, taking productivity and workflow efficiency to the max. When you combine this with the Eschmann Care & Cover servicing and maintenance package, you can rest assured that your equipment will be expertly tested, maintained and validated. Not only does it help you to meet the regulations, but it also minimises the risk of equipment malfunctions or downtime, optimises product life and includes annual ECPD staff training for maximum return on your investment.
Work smarter not harder
Life in a dental practice is busy enough without adding manual tasks that can be more efficiently, more consistently and more safely performed by the right equipment. Instrument decontamination is a crucial daily workflow and the washer disinfector is the ideal candidate to perform a streamlined and validated job.
For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of decontamination solutions available from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322
Author: Nicky Varney
[i] Cleaning of Dental Instruments Dental Clinical Guidance Second Edition Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme SDCEP. (2014). [Accessed October 2025]
[ii] Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices. Department of Health. 2023. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HTM_01-05_2013.pdf [Accessed October 2025]
