www.sbdmj.com - Stomatologija - Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

Summary

During dental procedures, dentists and their assistants, dental laboratory technicians and their assistants may be exposed to a wide variety of microorganisms in the blood, saliva, and oral cavity of the patients. These microorganisms may cause various air-borne and blood borne infections. The efficient infection control procedures in the dental office and the dental laboratory are not sufficiently used, mainly because these procedures cause inconveniences in dental practice. If pathogenic microorganisms on dental impressions and interim prostheses making devices are not decontaminated, direct transmission of infection can occur from patient to dentist, dental laboratory technician or vice versa.

The study showed that infection can be transmitted through insufficiently decontaminated alginate and silicon impressions. A comparison was made between the two chemical structures of dental impressions material (alginate or silicon) with an objective to find out which can transmit more bacteria and which is less resistant to disinfectants. After 10 tests, three groups of impressions of both materials were sprayed with the suspension of bacteria culture Serratia rubidaea (1 ml/10⁶ CFU) and taken from phantom heads. Then, the impressions of Group 1 were rinsed under running tap water, the impressions of Group 2 were immersed into METASYS Green & Clean AD disinfectant for 3 seconds, and the impressions of Group 3 were left as a control group. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by examining the contamination of plaster models made from the impressions, assessing the count of Serratia rubidaea CFUs (colony forming units) per one 1 cm².

Key words: infection transmission, silicon and alginate impressions, disinfection.

Received: 05 02 2004

Accepted for publishing: 19 03 2004

Jonas Junevicius - D.D.S., Ass. Prof. Department of prosthodontics, Fakulty of stomatology, Kaunas Medical University, Lithuania.

Alvydas Pavilonis - M.D., PhD, Department of Microbiology at Kaunas Mecical University.

Algimantas Surna - D.D.S., PhD, Assoc.Prof. and Head Department of prosthodontics, Fakulty of stomatology, Kaunas Medical University, Lithuania.

Address correspondence to Dr. J.Junevicius, Sukileliu 51, Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: jjonis@dent.kmu.lt



	Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

March, 2004, Vol. 6, No. 1 CONTENTS SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Dentofacial Morphology of Class II Division 1 3 - 6 Accuracy of Computerized Axiography Controlled by MRI in Detecting Internal Derangements of the TMJ 7 - 10 Clinic, Diagnostics and Treatment Pecularities of Eagle’s Syndrome 11 - 13 CLINICAL ARTICLES The Influence of Site Preparation (Countersinking) on Initial Dental Implant Stability. An in vitro Study Using Resonance Frequency Analysis 14 - 16 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Panoramic Radiographs in Assessment the Bone Mineral Density 17 - 19 Transmission of Microorganisms from Dentists to Dental Laboratory Technicians through Contaminated Dental Impressions 20 - 23 Oral Health Status in the Participants of the “Juvenile Hypertension Program 2002” 24 - 27 Dental Status Among 2-6 Year Old Children in Riga City, Latvia 28 - 30 ERRATUM 27 © 2004 Stomatologija		Stomatologija 2004; 6 (1): 20-23 209 KB Transmission of Microorganisms from Dentists to Dental Laboratory Technicians through Contaminated Dental Impressions Jonas Junevicius, Alvydas Pavilonis, Algimantas Surna Summary During dental procedures, dentists and their assistants, dental laboratory technicians and their assistants may be exposed to a wide variety of microorganisms in the blood, saliva, and oral cavity of the patients. These microorganisms may cause various air-borne and blood borne infections. The efficient infection control procedures in the dental office and the dental laboratory are not sufficiently used, mainly because these procedures cause inconveniences in dental practice. If pathogenic microorganisms on dental impressions and interim prostheses making devices are not decontaminated, direct transmission of infection can occur from patient to dentist, dental laboratory technician or vice versa. The study showed that infection can be transmitted through insufficiently decontaminated alginate and silicon impressions. A comparison was made between the two chemical structures of dental impressions material (alginate or silicon) with an objective to find out which can transmit more bacteria and which is less resistant to disinfectants. After 10 tests, three groups of impressions of both materials were sprayed with the suspension of bacteria culture Serratia rubidaea (1 ml/10⁶ CFU) and taken from phantom heads. Then, the impressions of Group 1 were rinsed under running tap water, the impressions of Group 2 were immersed into METASYS Green & Clean AD disinfectant for 3 seconds, and the impressions of Group 3 were left as a control group. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by examining the contamination of plaster models made from the impressions, assessing the count of Serratia rubidaea CFUs (colony forming units) per one 1 cm². Key words: infection transmission, silicon and alginate impressions, disinfection. Received: 05 02 2004 Accepted for publishing: 19 03 2004 Jonas Junevicius - D.D.S., Ass. Prof. Department of prosthodontics, Fakulty of stomatology, Kaunas Medical University, Lithuania. Alvydas Pavilonis - M.D., PhD, Department of Microbiology at Kaunas Mecical University. Algimantas Surna - D.D.S., PhD, Assoc.Prof. and Head Department of prosthodontics, Fakulty of stomatology, Kaunas Medical University, Lithuania. Address correspondence to Dr. J.Junevicius, Sukileliu 51, Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: jjonis@dent.kmu.lt