Background Dental operatory surfaces are frequently exposed to bioaerosols and splatter during clinical procedures, making them high-risk sites for cross-contamination. Without effective disinfection, these surfaces may act as reservoirs for microbial transmission among patients and healthcare workers. Alcohol-based disinfectants are widely used; however, their effectiveness is often reduced by rapid evaporation, inconsistent application, and limitations with frequent use. This underscores the need for advanced surface disinfectants that provide rapid action, residual antimicrobial activity, and user-friendly safety profiles. Aim To formulate a novel chair-side antimicrobial system and evaluate its efficacy in laboratory and simulated clinical conditions. Methods A three-phase interventional pilot study was conducted. In Phase I, microbial contamination of non-autoclavable dental operatory surfaces was assessed via colony-forming unit (CFU) analysis, and gaps in existing protocols were identified. In Phase II, a novel antimicrobial system was formulated and tested in vitro against commonly encountered oral bacteria. In Phase III, the novel formulation was applied in a clinical operatory setting on the same surfaces used for baseline sampling, followed by swab collection and CFU analysis. Results The novel antimicrobial system demonstrated rapid bactericidal action and residual antimicrobial activity in vitro. In the clinical setting, there was a marked reduction in CFU counts following application of the novel disinfectant compared with baseline and conventional agents. No adverse effects on material compatibility were observed. The pilot study revealed that surfaces like the dental sitting chair, ultrasonic scaler, mobile phone, LA cartridge, and instrument trolley showed high CFU counts with Bectacept (up to 100), in contrast, the novel disinfectant reported a 100% reduction in CFU counts on all surfaces, demonstrating higher antimicrobial efficacy even within 24 hours. With Bectacept, contamination persisted and even increased on certain surfaces such as the instrument trolley (150 CFU), LA cartridge (100 CFU), and dental chair (80 CFU) after 48 hours. However, the novel disinfectant maintained complete inhibition (0 CFU) across all surfaces even at 48 hours. Conclusion The novel chair-side antimicrobial system showed higher antimicrobial efficacy and residual action. It presents a promising alternative to conventional surface disinfectants for improving infection control in dental environments. Further research into long-term efficacy, resistance potential, and safety is warranted before widespread adoption.
Punj et al. (Tue,) studied this question.