Table 7.

Methods of disinfection and cleaning of sterilizable endodontic instruments with a brief summary of their disadvantages and advantages.

Presterilization methods	Advantages	Disadvantages	Recommended by the scientific literature
Ultrasonic tray	It is the most effective system for debris removal and decontamination	It should be associated with washing with detergent/decontaminating liquids	The majority of the studies report it as the best system for instrument presterilization
Washer disinfector	Effective for decontamination and also debris removal	It should be combined with a prewash	Recommended by the scientific literature immediately after the ultrasound tray
Plasma cleaning	Effective for removing debris, does not release toxic substances, does not induce alterations to the instruments	High cost, little experience in the use in the dental industry	Few studies performed on endodontic instruments, but all agree on its effectiveness
Hand brushing, associated with disinfectants/detergents	Not compared to other methods	Incomplete debris removal, dependent on the operator, risk of cross infection, aggressiveness of disinfectants on the surface of the instruments	Not recommended by the literature