In vitro evaluation of cleaning efficacy of detergents recommended for use on dental instruments.

Background: The cleaning stage of instrument decontamination processes is a critical control point, and removal of protein deposits is used as a marker of cleaning efficacy. An important factor is the choice of cleaning solution especially in the absence of any defined standards for detergent effectiveness.

Methods: Following method validation, stainless steel tokens were inoculated with reconstituted citrated blood and added to a 24-multiwell plate and immersed in different cleaning solutions for 5 minutes, agitated at 25 (20°) tilts/min at 22°C and at the manufacturers' recommended temperatures.

Evaluation of residual protein on unprocessed and decontaminated dental extraction forceps.

Research into protein contamination of surgical instruments has received increasing attention and has focused on a quantitative analysis, without subsequent identification of these proteins. This study aimed to validate methods for the isolation and identification of instrument protein contamination using extraction forceps as a model. The working ends of used, unclean and decontaminated forceps were boiled in 1% (v/v) SDS and samples precipitated using StrataClean™ resin and Amicon® filtration.