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Study participation forms were returned by 55 percent (497/900) of sampled dentists.
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Each of these dentists was mailed the first BI test series which contained sterilization testing procedure instructions and an addressed return mailing envelope containing four BIs. Each BI consisted of a spore strip enclosed in a glassine envelope containing both B. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis spores.
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Three of the four spore strips in each BI series served as test BIs that were each run through a different sterilizer cycle with a moderate to heavy load of dental instruments. Specific instructions were given to operate the sterilizer in a manner normally used by the office and to place each BI in the most difficult area of the chamber to sterilize, such as in the center of a load of bagged or wrapped instruments. Dentists were requested to provide information about sterilizer operating conditions for each tested sterilizer cycle (for example, for steam autoclaves the temperature, pressure and time of the cycle). www.indiandentalacademy.com