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Hello, Just finishing up a class in microbio, and found it interesting in reading the materials about "microbial control". Three of the methods that I found a particular interest in are the use of ozone, UV, and pressurized steam (e.g. autoclave). Now, I see these toothbrush sterilizers on the market, and I've come across different companies that use one of these three methods, each claiming to be the best method. What are your thoughts on which type of toothbrush sterilizer would be best? My thought is that UV would be the worst, because, if I recall, the drawback is that the UV must come in direct contact with the germs, and on a brush, the germs will be hidden by the crevices and by organic matter. Which leads me to believe either ozone or steam would be the best method. With ozone, of course there is the danger to someone who doesn't realize that it is dangerous to breath. With steam, the messiness and the inconvenience of not knowing whether the aparatus has reached the proper temperature to sterilize. What do you guys think? By the way, at what temperature does an autoclave need to steam in order to sterilize? I've seen toothbrush sterilizers that do not look like they are pressurized, so I'm guessing that they operate at about 120 deg C (at 1 atm). Discuss...
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