Conduta de graduandos em Odontologia em relação ao uso de pontas diamantadas nas práticas clínicas e seu estado de conservação

The objective of this study was to examine the conduct of Dentistry undergraduate students regarding the use of diamond burs, as well as the conditions of the burs themselves. Questionnaires were applied to the 98 students regularly enrolled in the clinical subjects of the course (from the 7th to the 10th semesters) to evaluate the characteristics with regards to use, storing, sterilization, and conditions of the diamond burs used in clinical practice. The diamond burs were collected for analysis in an electron microscope (EM), where aspects related to their state of conservation were observed. Frequency calculations were carried out for the statistical analysis. It was found that 44.9% of the students stored the burs in isolation for sterilization; 27.6% used the same instrument for a period that varied from 1 to 2 years before discarding it; and 87.8% used the same instrument once or twice a week; 66.3% stated they did not use in clinic the same instruments used in lab activities; 73.5% used water, soap, and a brush to clean the bur, and 45.9% used gloves, cap, mask, and lab coats for this procedure; 51% used the air syringe to dry the bur; 39.8% did not disinfect them; 100% used autoclave; 87.8% reported good usage conditions; 59.2% had exchanged their instruments; and 81.6% agreed to use their own instruments in their oral cavity. The images from the EM show the structural loss of diamonds, the oxidation process of the bonding metal, and even the severe loss of the active part of the diamond tips. The students presented an adequate behavior regarding the storing, using, and sterilizing of the diamond burs. However, an analysis using the EM showed that the burs were not well preserved.