Abstract
Aim: To compare the effectiveness of four different disinfectant solutions in rapid decontamination of gutta percha cones. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 320 gutta percha cones were placed in bacterial suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Can-dida albicans for 30 minutes, and then immersed in disinfectant solutions (6% hydrogen peroxide, 2% chlorhexidine, 1% sodium hypochlorite, and 70% ethyl alcohol) for 1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes. After that, the cones were aseptically transferred to the test tubes containing 4 ml brain heart infusion broth, and then cultured on selected agar media and number of colonies was estimated after 24 hours incubation at 37 oC. Results: Hydrogen peroxide was effective in 1 minute, while chlorhexidine and sodium hypoch-lorite after 10 minutes, and ethyl alcohol in 5 minutes for decontamination of gutta percha cones. Con-clusion: Hydrogen peroxide was the most effective agents in decontamination of gutta perch cones
