Disinfection of pumice

Pumice is a potential source of infection for the dental technician and of cross-contamination between different dentures and patients. In this study, the number of microorganisms in two different combinations of pumice and disinfectant was compared with a conventional mixture of pumice and water. The results revealed that under practical conditions the mix of Steribim (pumice containing benzoic acid added by the manufacturer) with water reduced the number of bacteria by 99% compared with a mix of a conventional pumice and water. The addition of an antiseptic product that contained octenidine as active agent to conventional pumice reduced the number of microorganisms by 99.999%.