title: In-Vitro Study of the Contamination Remaining on Used Healing Abutments after Cleaning and Sterilizing in Dental Practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reuse or "recycle" of dental implant healing abutments in clinical practice is common, primarily for economic rational.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine of this practice results in reuse of components that carry with them some degree of contamination between patients, even following thorough cleaning and sterilization.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred healing abutments were collected from eight clinicians following patient use. The abutments were cleaned, sterilized, and then collected. The samples were treated with a protein specific stain (Phloxine B), and photographed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-nine percent of the abutments showed protein contamination at one or more sites following cleaning and sterilization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reuse of healing abutments between patients should be reevaluated in light of this data.
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, CA, USA.|Private Practice Limited to Prosthodontics, Bellevue, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Chandur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wadhwani
authors.affiliation: Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Constitutive and Regenerative Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Todd R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Schonnenbaum
authors.affiliation: Affiliate Associate Professor, Department of Oral Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA, USA.|Private practice limited to Oral- Maxillofacial Surgery, Bellevue, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Audia
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Kwok-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000044:Dental Abutments; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D013242:Sterilization; D013499:Surface Properties
keywords: abutments; contamination; healing; reuse components; surface properties; titanium