Effect of Three Different Disinfection Materials on Alginate Disc by Immersion and Spray Methods

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Infection control is of utmost importance for the dental community. Dentists are exposed to harmful microorganisms and in most cases the source of these microorganisms are the patient’s blood or saliva. This matter is of great importance in prosthodontics as well, where impression materials, contaminated with patients’ blood and saliva, are most commonly handled. Therefore establishing a method for disinfecting these materials seems necessary. The aim of this research was to survey the effect of three different disinfection materials on alginate disc by immersion and spray methods.METHODS: Three different disinfectants i.e., Chloro-Sol (0.5% sodium hypochlorite), 2% Deconex and Sanosil D2 were used in this in vitro experimental interventional study by immersion and spray methods and their antimicrobial efficacy were evaluated on 1584 alginate disks contaminated with 12 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Half of microorganisms were standard strains and the other half were clinical isolates. Forty alginate discs provided for each bacterium. Twenty of them were infected with bacterial suspension (108 cfu/ml) for one minute. Other was infected for 4 minutes. Twelve disks were infected for each bacterium (control group). FINDINGS: The antimicrobial activity of sodium hypochlorite 0.5% is different than Deconex 2% and Sansosil D2 (p