Sodium hypochlorite disinfection of irreversible hydrocolloid impression material

Alginate impression material is one of the most frequently used in dentistry. However, this material is susceptible to dimensional distortion during disinfection because of its hydrophilic nature. This study examined the effects of alginate disinfection using a sodium hypochlorite spray or impression immersion. Spray disinfection of an alginate impression did not cause dimensional differences of the poured stone casts when compared with casts from water-rinsed controls. Immersion disinfection created dimensional distortion of the anterior, posterior, and interarch model segments. Both the spray and immersion treatments equally decreased the surface detail reproducibility. The antimicrobial effects of the spray treatment were similar to those of the immersion treatment, while mere water rinsing resulted in inadequate disinfection.