Evaluation of chlorhexidine solutions and sodium hypochlorite in gutta decontamination percha contaminated by Enterococcus faecalis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions of chlorhexidine and sodium hypochlorite in the decontamination of gutta percha cones. The study was performed in duplicate, and each of the gutta-percha cones Test # 40 were used. 24 cones were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. The cones were contaminated divided into groups according to the solution (2% Chlorhexidine, Chlorhexidine 0.2% sodium hypochlorite and 2.5%) and the time for decontamination (15, 30 and 60 seconds, 2, 5 and 10 minutes). For the positive control, 6 cones were contaminated and immersed in distilled water at the same time the treatments. For the negative control, 6 cones were removed from the sealed box without being contaminated or decontaminated. After disinfection, the cones were washed and placed in test tubes containing BHI and taken to a bacteriological incubator at 37 for 48 hours. After the vials were analyzed from bacterial growth and made plating on chromogenic agar. The results showed that chlorhexidine 0.2% was not effective in decontaminating gutta percha studied in no time; the Chlorhexidine 2% was effective in decontamination cones in 10 minutes and the sodium hypochlorite was effective from 60 seconds. It was concluded that sodium hypochlorite at 2.5% was the decontaminated solution gutta percha in the shortest time.