Dentist Dr. Adamopoulos opts for System4Dent

All he has to do each morning is to pre-heat the machine. After that, it is always ready to go whenever needed – and is extremely fast: 'Miele's steriliser has significantly cut the time spent reprocessing instruments', says Dr. Themistoklis Adamopoulos, dentist from the German town of Bochum-Wattenscheid. He purchased his machine in autumn 2012 together with SegoSoft Miele Edition documentation software and a new Miele thermal disinfector. This and other services are part and parcel of Miele's System4Dent package.

The fact that all machines and services come from one single supplier and the reliable peace of mind provided by Miele’s in-house service operation were the reasons the Bochum dentist decided to opt for Miele after having considered all the alternatives. Admittedly, Dr. Adamopoulos has not yet needed to call on after-sales service but is well covered should the need arise: A full-service repair and maintenance contract ensures that his Miele machines are inspected annually and parts subject to wear and tear replaced free-of-charge.

His two dental assistants, whose jobs include the reprocessing of dental and surgical instruments, value practicality in their everyday work. 'The new machines are simple to operate and it is easy to take an on-the-spot decision to wash instruments shortly before a day's work finishes, guaranteeing that all instruments are ready for use the next day', says Melanie Volkmann. The old steriliser was often left on overnight as it took so long to heat up. The new machine is completely different: 'It is always on standby as once it has been pre-heated in the morning, it keeps its temperature all day. I can run a programme immediately and the '134°C Universal' programme is through in
only 23 minutes'. This programme is the one most frequently used at the Adamopoulos dental surgery and hence can be called up by simply pressing the 'QuickStart' button.

The steriliser holds six instrument trays per cycle; the thermal disinfector can take four mesh trays or six cartridges plus the accessories used in the treatment of patients. Although the specialist for oral surgery uses instruments with widely differing shapes and materials, almost all can be reprocessed in a thermal disinfector. The only manual cleaning involved is to rinse the lumens of the tubing for the dental aspirator. As it is usually sufficient to run the thermal disinfector and steriliser only twice a day, reprocessing can take place alongside other duties – leaving more time for assisting with patient care.

Process data backup to surgery network

The documentation of process data is also fast and simple, taking up only a few minutes. Cycle protocols are transferred straight to the surgery's own network, checked, approved and saved using Segosoft Miele Edition software in such a way as to prevent any future manipulation. Once recorded on the surgery computer, cycle protocols remain legible for decades, open to scrutiny and legal challenge. This offers legal certainty and records can be produced easily for the perusal of health inspectors.

And Dr. Adamopoulos' premises were indeed visited by inspectors shortly after he took over the surgery from his predecessor in 2010. However, as he had taken over a modern surgery and continued to invest in new technology, he has little fear of official scrutiny. 'As far as hygiene goes, we are state-of-the-art".

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Company profile: Miele is the world leader in the field of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floorcare products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany and one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2012/13 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.15 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,250 with two-thirds in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.