Portable ozone sterilization device with mechanical and ultrasonic cleaning units for dentistry.

A portable device for cleaning and ozone sterilization of small-sized delicate dental instruments that cannot withstand the high heat and humidity of standard autoclaving has been developed. The device contains a remote unit for magnetic mechanical washing, an ultrasonic bath for pre-cleaning treatment, and a container for ozone sterilization with a reactor based on dielectric barrier discharge. The maximum ozone concentration in water reached 8.5 mg/l for 10 min of operation at a water temperature of 19 °C. The results of inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus are presented. Distilled water with such seeded micro-organisms was bubbled with an ozone-air mixture at an ozone concentration of 5.8 mg/l at 17 °C for 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, and 30 min. The maximum bactericidal effect was manifested for Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells with their total elimination within 10 min. Inactivation of Escherichia coli bacteria was monitored after 20 min of treatment, and Staphylococcus aureus-after 30 min of treatment.

Highly wear-resistant and biocompatible carbon nanocomposite coatings for dental implants.

Diamond-like carbon coatings are increasingly used as wear-protective coatings for dental implants, artificial joints, etc. Despite their advantages, they may have several weak points such as high internal stress, poor adhesive properties or high sensitivity to ambient conditions. These weak points could be overcome in the case of a new carbon nanocomposite coating (CNC) deposited by using a C60 ion beam on a Co/Cr alloy. The structure of the coatings was investigated by Raman and XPS spectroscopy. The wear resistance was assessed by using a reciprocating tribotester under the loads up to 0.4 N in both dry and wet sliding conditions. Biocompatibility of the dental implants was tested in vivo on rabbits. Biocompatibility, bioactivity and mechanical durability of the CNC deposited on a Co/Cr alloy were investigated and compared with those of bulk Co/Cr and Ti alloys. The wear resistance of the CNC was found to be 250-650 fold higher compared to the Co/Cr and Ti alloys. Also, the CNC demonstrated much better biological properties with respect to formation of new tissues and absence of negative morphological parameters such as necrosis and demineralization. Development of the CNC is expected to aid in significant improvement of lifetime and quality of implants for dental applications.