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Microbial contamination of endodontic files received from the manufacturer

Todd P Roth1, Scott I Whitney, Stephen G Walker

  • 1Division of Endodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA. toddroth@hotmail.com

Journal of Endodontics
|June 24, 2006
PubMed

Insights

New endodontic files are often not sterile. Sterilizing them with sodium hypochlorite before use is recommended, and manufacturers should indicate sterility status on packaging.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Dental Materials Science
  • Infection Control

Background:

  • New endodontic files may harbor microorganisms.
  • Ensuring instrument sterility is crucial for preventing iatrogenic infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the microbial contamination of new endodontic files.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of a chairside sterilization method for endodontic files.

Main Methods:

  • Tested 150 new endodontic files (hand and rotary) from five manufacturers for microbial contamination.
  • Intentionally contaminated autoclaved files with recovered bacteria.
  • Evaluated sterilization using 5.25% sodium hypochlorite immersion for five minutes.

Main Results:

  • 13% of tested endodontic files showed positive microbial cultures.
  • Five-minute immersion in 5.25% sodium hypochlorite effectively sterilized contaminated files.

Conclusions:

  • Endodontic files require sterilization prior to clinical application.
  • Manufacturers should clearly label the sterility of endodontic files.

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