Microwave – A Novel Wave in Dentistry

Abstract

Background: It is rightly said 'cleanliness is next to God'. Achieving the effective sterilization is paramount for the best healthcare service. Autoclave is the gold standard of sterilization. Still a need for new method of sterilization is being felt which would be less time consuming and provide a rapid turnover of instruments, while at the same time having less intricate machinery, be compact and user-friendly for a dental clinic. Microwave a little explored method of sterilization has the potential to answer all the requirements while at the same time being at par with autoclave in terms of efficacy. This provided an impetus to compare the sterilization efficacy of autoclave and domestic microwave using biological indicator Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore strips at various time intervals. Method: Three cycles were carried out in microwave. 1 st cycle was carried out at 1000W for 8 minutes, 2 nd cycle at 1350W for 16 minutes and 3 rd cycle at 1350W for 19 minutes. Likewise one cycle was carried out in autoclave at 121⁰C, 15lbs for 15 minutes. Afterwards, the spore strips were incubated in Adult blood culture media for 7 days at 56⁰C. Results: No growth was observed in autoclave, while gradual decrease in turbidity was seen in microwave from 1 to 15 minutes, at 1350W, 2450MHz from 16 minutes onwards no growth was observed. Conclusions: Microwave at 1350W, 2450MHz for 16 minutes is as effective as autoclave.