Abstract

Enduro hand sanitizer is a new disinfecting agent that has recently been introduced as an effective antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent. Considering the importance of infection control in dentistry, this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of the foam and its ability to disinfect dental surfaces and instruments. An experimental study was designed to evaluate the microbial load of 50 samples which were obtained randomly from dental surfaces and instruments before and after application of the disinfecting foam. All samples were cultured in blood agar and nutrient agar culture media and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Colony count was subsequently performed after an additional 24 h. Furthermore, to evaluate the efficacy of the foam on different bacterial species, a blank disc was coated with foam and approximated with the bacteria. The clear zone around each disc was measured and reported (mm) after 48 h. The significance of differences between the data retrieved before and after applying the foam was determined using the non parametric Chi-square test. None of the species were colonized after the application of the foam. It was also shown to significantly reduce the colonization of resistant bacterial strains and the standard microbial species (P<0.05). Enduro hand sanitizer is an effective disinfectant capable of decontaminating dental instruments to the optimum level.

Key words: Antibacterial, disinfecting agent, dental instrument.