EFFECT OF STERILISATION ON PEDIATRIC ESTHETIC CROWNS

Abstract

In pediatric dentistry, the use of esthetic crowns has become a vital component in restoring the form and function of primary teeth affected by caries, trauma, or developmental anomalies. As practitioners strive to provide the best possible dental care for young patients, ensuring the safety and efficacy of dental materials is paramount. Sterilization, a fundamental practice in healthcare settings, plays a crucial role in preventing the transmission of infections and maintaining aseptic conditions.

For this study, 80 crowns were obtained from four different manufacturers. The study included one control group G1 and four experimental groups G2 to G5. The control group consisted of five crowns randomly chosen from each crown type. First, the selected crowns were examined under a stereomicroscope at 60 times magnification. Second, the selected crowns were sputter coated with carbon using an ion coater SEM Coating Unit E 500, POLARON Equipment Limited, Barcelona, Spain before undergoing scanning electron microscopy SEM analysis.

The strength of agreement between the two assessments for each criterion was almost perfect with a Kappa value of 0.9. No changes were observed after sterilization or disinfection in the stereomicroscopic evaluation of the vestibular surfaces of the crowns.

The impact of sterilization on pediatric esthetic crowns is a multifaceted topic that encompasses various aspects ranging from material integrity to color stability and overall clinical performance. This discussion highlights the key considerations and findings related to the effects of sterilization on different types of esthetic crowns commonly used in pediatric dentistry.

Sterilization and disinfection resulted in crazing, contour alterations, and vestibular surface changes of preveneered stainless steel crowns SSCs when examined by SEM. However, no fracturing was noted. Chemical disinfection in an ultrasonic bath was found to be the preferred method because it causes less damage to the vestibular surfaces of preveneered stainless steel crowns compared with other sterilization methods.