Effectiveness of different chemical agents in rapid decontamination of gutta-percha cones

• Main Authors: Cardoso Celso Luíz, Redmerski Roberta, Bittencourt Nilza de Lucas Rodrigues, Kotaka Cinthia Regiane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia 2000-01-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Microbiology
• Subjects: chemical agents; gutta-percha cones; decontamination
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822000000100016

The effectiveness of seven disinfectant compounds used in dentistry for a rapid decontamination of 32 gutta-percha cones adhered with Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli strains or Bacillus subtilis spores was compared. Cones were treated with 2% glutaraldehyde, 1% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethyl alcohol, 1% and 0.3% iodine alcohol, 2% chlorhexidine, 6% hydrogen peroxide, and 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine, for 1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes. After treatment, each cone was transferred to thioglycollate broth and incubated at 37ºC for 7 days. The products were bactericidal after 1 to 5 minutes and, with exception of ethyl alcohol and iodine-alcohol, sporicidal after 1 to 15 minutes of exposure. Results suggest that chlorhexidine, sodium hypochlorite, polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine, hydrogen peroxide, and glutaraldehyde were the most effective products in the decontamination of gutta-percha cones.