Abstracto

Decontamination of Gutta-Percha Cones with Different Chemical Agents

Vivek Rana, Ashish K. Asthana and Anita Pandey

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various chemical disinfectants in decontamination of gutta-percha (GP) cones contaminated with Bacillus subtilis spores. Sodium hypochlorite solution (4%), glutaraldehyde solution (2%), povidone-iodine solution (5%), and savlon solutions were compared for effectiveness in sterilizing gutta-percha cones contaminated with Bacillus subtilis spores. Microbial assays were carried out after immersing the GP in the experimental solutions for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. It was observed that glutaraldehyde decontaminated the gutta-percha cones in 5 minutes, sodium hypochlorite in 10 minutes while povidone-iodine solution and savlon were not effective even at the end of 15 minutes.