title: Decontamination procedures for tungsten carbide debonding burs: a cross-sectional survey of hospital-based orthodontic departments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the current pattern of use and handling of tungsten carbide debonding burs (TCDBs) within UK hospital-based orthodontic departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires were sent to 217 departments within the UK and an overall response rate of 93% was achieved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most hospital departments (68%) currently use TCDBs designed for a slow handpiece. Just over half (55%) discard their TCDBs after single-use, but only 24% adequately decontaminate new burs prior to initial use. Almost all those that reuse TCDBs decontaminate them in a sterilizer and carry out combinatorial presterilization cleaning. The most common methods are manual cleaning followed by an ultrasonic bath (26%) or washer-disinfector (15%); or alternatively, soaking of burs followed by manual cleaning (13%). For those departments that use only a single method, manual cleaning (29%) or a washer-disinfector (10%) are most common. In terms of sterilizing TCDBs, 58% used a vacuum phase autoclave and 13% a downward displacement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is wide variation in the handling of TCDBs in UK hospital-based orthodontic departments. Decontamination of new TCDBs prior to initial use is carried out by less than a third of departments. Despite their classification as reusable devices, just over half discard TCDBs after single use. However, among those that do reuse TCDBs, almost all decontaminate them correctly.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, UK. zahrat@gmail.com
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sheriteh
authors.forename: Tasnim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sherriff
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cobourne
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cobourne
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D017005:Dental Debonding / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003762:Dental Instruments; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017973:Tungsten Compounds
chemical_list: D017973:Tungsten Compounds; C002802:tungsten carbide