Evaluation of the effects of processing delays and protective plastic cases on image quality of a photostimulable phosphor plate system.

This ex vivo study evaluated the quality of digital radiographic images obtained with the photostimulable phosphor plate system (Digora) according to the processing delay and maintenance of optical plates in either opaque (supplied with the system) or transparent protective plastic cases during this period. Five radiographs were obtained from the mandibular molar region of a dry human mandible using optical plates. These plates were placed in the protective plastic cases before obtaining the radiographs and were processed immediately or after processing delays of 5, 60 and 120 min, when the case was removed.

In vitro evaluation of different chemical agents for the decontamination of gutta-percha cones.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of three disinfectants used in Dentistry for decontamination of gutta-percha cones. Sixty gutta-percha cones were contaminated with standardized pure cultures of five species of microorganisms (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Candida albicans ATCC CBS-ICB/USP 562, Bacillus subtilis spores ATCC 6633 and Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175). The cones were treated with 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine aqueous solution (PVP-I; Groups 1 and 2), 5.