[Effect of storage time on sterility of instrument in oral surgical packs]

The study was carried out to test the effect of storage time on sterility of instruments in oral surgical packs used in the out patient unit, Dental Hospital, Prince of Songkhla University. Stainless steel wire was used to represent the instruments and put in each pack of all 705 oral surgical packs. After autoclaving at the different storage times within a period of three months, no contamination was found. Therefore, it could be concluded that the sterilization and storage methods of oral surgical packs in the Dental Hospital are acceptable.