[Glass bead sterilization of orthodontic pliers]

The study on sterilization of orthodontic pliers by using glass bead sterilizer at 450 F was performed. Microorganisms used in this experiment were Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25933, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and mixed microorganisms in human saliva. The result showed that after the pliers were scrubbed with alcohol and sterilized for 3 minutes with glass bead sterilizer, all vegetative cells and bacterial spores were killed in every test. This study indicated that glass bead sterilizer is capable of sterilizing orthodontic pliers and can be a useful adjunct when rapid chairside sterilization is desired.