MICROBIOLOGIC CONTAMINATION DURING DENTAL RADIOGRAPHIC FILM PROCESSING

This study investigated microbiologic contamination of an automatic de ntal radiograph processor and daylight loader during a week of simulat ed clinical use. Pure cultures of Candida albicans, Streptococcus Pneu moniae, Staphylococcus aureus, or Klebsiella pneumoniae were used to c ontaminate 320 vinyl intraoral radiograph packets. Each end of the fil ms was deliberately contaminated during opening. These films and 24 un contaminated control films were processed. Daylight loader ports, inle t and outlet rollers, fixer and developer samples, and 12 processed fi lms were cultured daily. To simulate a weekend, the processor sites we re cultured during 72 hours of inactivity after the contaminated runs. The results showed that contamination of the processor and daylight l oader occurred and remained even after 48 hours of inactivity, Films r emained contaminated after processing. In addition, cross-contaminatio n of films occurred in the processor.