title: Microbial contamination in intraoral phosphor storage plates: the dilemma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate microbial contamination in phosphor storage plates in dental radiology services and discuss the possible origin of this contamination.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 50 phosphor plates: 14 plates from service A, 30 from service B, and 6 in the control group, consisting of plates never used. Damp sterile swabs were rubbed on the phosphor plates, and then transferred to tests tubes containing sterile saline solution. Serial dilutions were made, and then inoculated in triplicate on Mueller Hinton agar plates and incubated at 37 °C/48 h, before counting the colony-forming units (CFU). The samples were also seeded in brain-heart infusion medium to confirm contamination by turbidity of the culture medium. All solutions, turbid and clean, were seeded in selective and non-selective media.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At service A and B, 50 and 73.3 % of the phosphor plates were contaminated, respectively. This contamination was mainly due to bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus. CFU counts ranged from 26.4 to 80.0 CFU/plate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the phosphor plates evaluated shown to be contaminated, mainly by Staphylococcus ssp. Quantitatively, this contamination occurred at low levels, possibly arising from handling of the plates. The use of a second plastic barrier may have diminished contamination by microorganisms from the oral cavity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a risk of cross-contamination by phosphor storage plates used in dental radiology services.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Professor Morais Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tricia Murielly Pereira Andrade
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Phonoaudiology Department, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, - Castelo Branco, João Pessoa, Paraiba, João Pessoa, 58051-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Professor Morais Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laís César
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: de Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Professor Morais Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitária, Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa Dos Anjos
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pontual
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Professor Morais Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitária, Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: de Moraes Ramos Perez
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Professor Morais Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitária, Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil. mlpontual@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Dos Anjos
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pontual
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D019552:Infection Control, Dental; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Dental digital radiography; Dental radiography; Equipment contamination; Infection control