Effectiveness of Disposable (Single-use) Tips for Dental Air-water Syringes

Single-use dental syringe (SUS) tips eliminate cross-infection risks. Many dental materials are moisture sensitive; therefore bonding could be affected by remaining moisture from SUS tips.

An air-water syringe was calibrated to 50 PSI and the air pressure measured. SUS tips were then attached and pressure re-measured. Seven tips were tested; moisture content and spray pattern were investigated. Ethical approval was granted. Twenty third molar teeth were sectioned, stored in phosphate buffered saline and randomly allocated into groups with a SUS tip. They were mounted in acrylic and polished. Specimens were dried with a tip under standardised conditions, treated using a 3-step etch-prime-bond technique, then had a post bonded perpendicular to the dentine surface. The force to detach them was measured. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-squared tests.

The difference in output pressure between groups proved significant (p < 0.001). Tensile force at failure was significantly different between groups (p = 0.19).

The pressure output of the syringe and bond strength are influenced by the SUS tip.