| Summary: | During impressions, bacteria, viruses, and fungi remain on the impression material, representing a significant risk for the medical team (dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians). Impression disinfectants have been introduced into dentistry to reduce the risk of cross-infection. This study was performed by examining the surface disinfection of five commonly used impression materials in prosthodontics: alginate-Tropicalgin (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>), condensation silicone-Zetaplus (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>), Oranwash L (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>); and addition silicone-Elite HD + Putty Soft (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>), Elite + Light Body (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>) after the disinfection with three disinfectants: Zeta 3 Soft (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>), Zeta 7 Spray (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>) and Zeta 7 Solution (Zhermack<sup>®</sup>). Before disinfection, the impression materials were contaminated with <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> ATCC 25923, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> ATCC 27853, and <i>Candida albicans</i> ATCC 10213. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of the two examined specific disinfectants in reducing cross-infection risk. The surface disinfectant-spray is not adequate for impression disinfection. A high number of bacterial colonies were found on the surface of all impressions disinfected with this spray. The immersion-disinfection method effectively eliminates the risk of cross-infections (Kruskal–Wallis test showed a <i>p</i> < 0.001).
|
|---|