Effectiveness of four chemical solutions in eliminating Bacillus subtilis spores on gutta-percha cones

Gutta-percha cones should be free of pathogenic micro-organisms before being used for root canal filling. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of four chemical agents in eliminating Bacillus subtilis spores from gutta-percha cones. The solutions tested were 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, and 70% ethyl alcohol. The gutta-percha cones coated with spores were placed into contact with the chemical agents for 1, 3, 5 and 10 min. The results showed that 5.25% sodium hypochlorite was effective in destroying the spores after 1 min of contact. Glutaraldehyde, chlorhexidine and ethyl alcohol did not decontaminate the gutta-percha cones even after 10 min of contact.