Assessment of bacterial contamination of the external surface of anesthetic cartridges

ABSTRACT

Objective: Infection control is one of the important aspects in dentistry. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is one of the most sensitive fields in dentistry in which infection control is important; a sterile surgical set is imperative. Manufacturers only guarantee the sterility of the anesthetic not the sterility of its outer surface. They recommend alcohol to sterile the outer surface [especially the diaphragm] of the cartridge. On the other hand, studies showed contamination of external surfaces in anesthetic cartridges in various amounts. Evaluation of possible microbial contamination of anesthetic cartridge surfaces was the intent of this study