A dental practice is inconceivable without autoclaves, for the complete elimination of all microorganisms through sterilization. Once a product has been sterilized and properly sealed, it will remain sterile indefinitely. The autoclave, an extremely important tool in microbiological practice, ensures the elimination of microorganisms, including endospores, through the use of moist heat.

Heat sterilization involves a treatment that causes the complete destruction of all organisms. To achieve these results, it is necessary to reach temperatures above the boiling point of water. This is achieved by introducing saturated steam under pressure into the hermetic chamber of the autoclave. The principle is the same as that used in pressure cookers. The pressure used for autoclave sterilization allows a temperature of 121ºC to be reached; at this temperature, the treatment time is generally 10-15 minutes. However, it is not the pressure reached inside the autoclave that causes the death of microorganisms; the lethal factor is, in fact, the high temperature that can be reached at pressures above atmospheric pressure. Class B autoclaves also sterilize hollow instruments and provide a detailed report of the sterilization process.