Abstract

AHMED, R; AHMED, S  and  MULDER, R. Managing Saliva and Surface Contamination in Dental Clinics: A Hypochlorous acid -Based Approach to Sustainable Infection Control. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2025, vol.80, n.5, pp.251-257. ISSN 0375-1562.  https://doi.org/10.17159/sadj.v80i05.20784.

Effective microbial control in dental clinics is crucial to preventing healthcare-associated infections, particularly during aerosol-generating procedures. This study evaluates the efficacy of vaporized hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in reducing microbial contamination from saliva on surfaces under various conditions. This study aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This novel disinfection technique promotes sustainable, eco-friendly disinfectant solutions by offering an alternative to harsher disinfectants. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of a vaporized HOCl based dental unit water line (DUWL) disinfectant in reducing microbial growth from whole saliva under both wet and dry conditions, across different challenge media. Secondary objectives included assessing the influence of time and medium composition on its effectiveness MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. Inoculated 96-well microtiter plates were exposed to vaporized HOCl (0.005%) for two different time points, 2 hours and 24 hours. The surfaces of the microtiter plates were treated with the vaporized disinfectant under both dry and wet conditions. Microbial inhibition was assessed by measuring optical density (OD) values, which provided an indication of microbial growth and the disinfectant's efficacy at each time interval. RESULTS: Vaporized HOCl significantly reduced microbial contamination, especially in dry conditions, with lower OD values indicating greater efficacy. Low-nutrient media showed better disinfectant performance, while nutrient-rich media supported higher microbial growth. Longer exposure times in nutrient-rich media resulted in decreased disinfectant efficacy, emphasizing the importance of pre-cleaning CONCLUSION: Vaporized HOCl is an effective, eco-friendly disinfectant for dental clinics, with its performance influenced by medium composition and exposure time

Keywords : Hypochlorous acid; Infection control; Sustainable disinfectants; Surface contamination; Eco-friendly disinfectants; SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being); SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

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