Effectiveness of sterilization of dental instruments in the sterilization centers of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Central University of Ecuador, through the use of biological indicator

Abstract

The risk of cross infection is permanently found during dental practice; for this reason, it is vital to apply biosafety standards and maintain strict control of the sterilization process of the material and instruments used; for this, the use of biological indicators helps to obtain greater reliability in determining the effectiveness of the sterilization process, since they show the destruction or not of spores. Objective: Establish the effectiveness of wet heat sterilization of dental instruments in FOUCE undergraduate, operating room and exodontic sterilization plants, using the biological indicator in the maximum capacity of the autoclaves. Material and methods: the research was carried out in the autoclave of the FOUCE undergraduate, operating and sterilization plants, placing a biological indicator in each of them at 121°C, 1 atmosphere and activating the sterilization process for 20 minutes, after being incubated get the result. This study was carried out in two sterilization cycles a day, two days a week, for a month. Results: in the undergraduate sterilization center, 100% of its samples were negative in the presence of spores. In the operating room sterilization center 50% of the samples were negative and 50% positive. And in the exodontic sterilization center 94% of the samples were negative and 6.0% positive. Conclusion: The dental faculty of the Central University of Ecuador, in its undergraduate sterilization centers, tooth extraction and operating room have an efficiency of 81.25%.