Efficacy and design requirements of UV light cabinets for disinfection of exchangeable non-sterilizable "dental objects".

Non-sterilizable items such as prosthodontics items constitute a high risk of transmitting dangerous pathogens, including Coronavirus, between patients and healthcare personnel. Although UV rays are recognized for their germicidal efficacy, large and expensive UV devices previously hindered their adoption in dental offices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, small UV devices became available for domestic use, albeit with varying designs and effectiveness. Our study assesses the disinfection capacity of a UV light cabinet for four dental materials and discusses crucial design features for effective performance. Specimens of each material (silicone impressions, stone cast, acrylic denture base, and indelible pencils) were contaminated with Escherichia coli Bl21, and randomly divided into three study groups: UV device (UVG), impressions disinfection solution (SG), and control (CG). The experiment was repeated thrice, and disinfection efficacy assessed by colony forming units (CFU) count. A 2.5-min UV exposure achieved full disinfection for all materials. Significantly different results were found between groups (p < 0.05, one-way ANOVA, Tukey HSD), except for indelible pencils, where UVG and SG were both highly effective. UV cabinets surpass SG's disinfection efficacy. Compact UV devices can offer affordable, portable, and efficient disinfection for non-sterilizable dental objects, with careful consideration of wavelength, exposure, intensity, and safety.

Creating a patient-based condition-specific outcome measure for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs): Oral Health Impact Profile for TMDs (OHIP-TMDs).

The aim of this study was to generate a putative patient-based outcome measure specifically for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) using a mixed-method approach. A combined quantitative-qualitative methodology was used to identify the most relevant items in the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-49) for TMDs. The quantitative study involved 110 patients with TMDs diagnosed using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (RDC/TMD) and 110 age- and sex-matched controls. All subjects completed the OHIP-49. The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with a separate sample of patients with TMDs (n = 29). The two resultant data sets were analysed blinded and separately. Each data set used predetermined rules to select candidate items for the putative OHIP for TMDs. The two sets of selected items were then compared using a priori rules to make a final item selection for OHIP TMDs. Eighteen pre-existing items were selected through the quantitative process and fourteen by the qualitative process. On comparison of the two selections all but two of the items selected by the qualitative process had also been selected by the quantitative process. Two new candidate items emerged from the qualitative data that were not covered by OHIP-49. A 22 item putative OHIP-TMDs outcome measure emerged from the final selection process. A putative OHIP-TMDs outcome measure has been generated which requires further testing especially in relation to its responsiveness to change.