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Disinfection and sterilization of composite polishing instruments
W H Tate1, M C Goldschmidt, M T Ward
1University of Texas-Houston Dental Branch, Department of General Dentistry, Section of Operative Dentistry, 77030-3402, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy of several methods of sterilization and disinfection on two different types of composite finishing and polishing instruments.
Materials And Methods:
The instruments consisted of a proprietary light-cured resin cup impregnated with an abrasive and a silicon dioxide-impregnated rubber cup. Chemical and physical methods included treatment with iodophor, synthetic phenol, glutaraldehyde, microwaving, autoclaving, and chemiclaving.
Results:
Glutaraldehyde (Vital Defense-S) was an effective disinfectant; however, other chemical (cold) disinfectants overall, were not reliable. Autoclaving, chemiclaving, and microwaving all provided to be effective means of sterilization.