title: Effect of disinfection and sterilization on the tensile strength, surface roughness, and wettability of elastomers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of chemical disinfection, autoclave, and microwave sterilization on some of the key properties of elastomers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five polyvinylsiloxane elastomeric impression materials were evaluated. Forty samples were fabricated from each material. The samples were randomly selected and assigned to four experimental groups with 50 samples each: group I, control; group II,chemical disinfection; group III, autoclave sterilization; and group IV, microwave sterilization. The differences in the mean values were contrasted and compared with the control group and analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (P < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that chemical disinfection and autoclave sterilization had no significant effect on the tensile strength and surface roughness, whereas microwave sterilization showed a statistically-significant reduction in tensile strength, and an increase in surface roughness. None of the disinfection and sterilization techniques had a significant effect on wettability. However, autoclave and microwave sterilization resulted in an increase in hydrophilicity of all the materials tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemical disinfection and autoclave sterilization had no statistically-significant effect on the tested properties of elastomers, thus autoclave sterilization can be considered as an alternative and an effective mode of disinfection and sterilization to eliminate all forms of disease causing microorganisms from dental impressions.
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Sunil Babu
authors: SB
authors: Kotha
authors: Department of Dental Health, Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ravikumar
authors: R
authors: Ramakrishnaiah
authors: Department of Dental Health, Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Darshan
authors: D
authors: Devang Divakar
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Sree Lalita
authors: SL
authors: Celur
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Saad
authors: S
authors: Qasim
authors: Department of Dental Health, Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.|Department of Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Jukka P
authors: JP
authors: Matinlinna
mesh_terms: D003760:Dental Impression Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D004203:Disinfection; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D013242:Sterilization; D013499:Surface Properties; D013718:Tensile Strength; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D003760:Dental Impression Materials; D020724:Elastomers
keywords: autoclave sterilization; elastomeric impression material; microwave sterilization; surface roughness and wettability; tensile strength