Pathological evaluation for sterilization of routinely used prosthodontic and endodontic instruments

• Published in: Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 232 - 236
• Main Authors: Kumar, K, Kiran Kumar, K, Supreetha, S, Raghu, K, Veerabhadrappa, Anusha, Deepthi, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mumbai Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd 01-05-2015; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2231-0762; 2250-1002
• DOI: 10.4103/2231-0762.159962

Background: In daily practice of dentistry, we use same instruments on many patients. Before use, all instruments must be cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized to prevent any contamination. Pre-cleaning and sterilization of some devices can be difficult because of their small size and complex architecture. Dental burs and endodontic files are such instruments. Dental burs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, all with highly complex and detailed surface features. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of various disinfectants and sterilization techniques for disinfection and resterilization of dental burs and endodontic files. Materials and Methods: The materials used for the study were dental burs and endodontic files. Disinfectants used were Quitanet plus, glutaraldehyde, glass-bead sterilizer, and autoclave. The sterility of used dental burs and endodontic files was analyzed. Burs and files that had been used were pre-cleaned, resterilized, and then tested for various pathogens. Each item was transferred by sterile technique into Todd-Hewitt broth, incubated at 37C for 72 h, and observed for bacterial growth. Results: The present study shows that the endodontic files and burs sterilized by autoclaving and glutaraldehyde showed complete sterilization. Burs and files immersed in glutaraldehyde (2.4%) for 12 h showed complete sterilization, whereas Quitanet plus solution and glass-bead sterilizer showed incomplete sterilization. Conclusion: The present study results indicate that autoclaving and glutaraldehyde (2.4%) showed complete sterilization. Other methods cannot be relied upon for sterilization.