Isolation and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates in a dental clinic environment.

Objective: To determine the number of Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected in a dental clinical environment and to determine their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents commonly used in dentistry.

Setting: Undergraduate clinic of the Dental School of Piracicaba, University of Campinas, Brazil.

Methods: Sterile cotton swabs were used to collect the samples from dental-chair push buttons, light handles, 3-in-1 syringes, computer "Enter" keys, doorknobs, and X-ray tubes before, during, and after clinical procedures.

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and oral streptococci strains from high-risk endocarditis patients.

This study sought to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylcoccus aureus and viridans group streptococci strains collected from the forearm skin and saliva of 30 patients at high risk of endocarditis. Agar susceptibility tests of antibiotics routinely utilized in dentistry were used to verify antimicrobial resistance of bacterial strains. Of the Staphylcoccus aureus strains, 50% were resistant to ampicillin, 53.

Environmental contamination before, during, and after dental treatment.

Purpose: To verify environmental contamination by collecting microorganisms from dental equipment surfaces before, during and after clinical procedures.

Methods: Sterile swabs were used to collect the samples from dental-chair push buttons, 3-in-1 syringes, X-ray tubes, computer keys, doorknobs, and light handles before (P1), during (P2) and after (P3) clinical procedures, in the undergraduate clinic of the Dental School of Piracicaba, University of Campinas, Brazil. These samples were spread on BHI agar and incubated at 37 degrees C for 24 hours.