Created with quality and simplicity in mind, Henry Schein waterline treatment products keep biofilm at bay so clinicians can provide safe dentistry every day
No one likes that slimy feeling on their teeth when they wake up in the morning. Equally unsettling is the thought of a similar "slime" coating the waterlines in your dental practice.
“We spend our careers telling patients to disrupt the biofilm in their mouths by brushing, flossing, and frequent hygiene appointments,” said Shannon Pace Brinker, CDA, a national and international speaker, published author, and practicing dental assistant for over 30 years. “But what about the biofilm pulled into dental unit waterlines during treatment?”
Bacterial biofilm has the potential to exist in almost all dental unit waterlines unless specific procedures are implemented to eliminate, trap, or kill it. While CDC guidelines state that dental water should contain less than 500 CFU/mL of microbial contamination, bacterial counts in untreated dental water greater than 100,000 CFU/mL have been reported.
“We need water for pretty much everything we do in the dental office," said Brinker, "which is why we need to think about maintaining waterlines as part of our regular infection protocols.
”That’s easier said than done, in part because of the narrow nature of waterline tubing that creates a perfect breeding ground for microorganisms. “When we pull and tug on the tubing, we create little kinks in the hose that make it more bendable and allow for pathogens to really sink in,” added Brinker. “Biofilm can become a comfortable nest for these pathogens, which can potentially lead to dangerous infections.”
Another barrier to clean waterlines is a wide variety of products and protocols. “The hardest thing about infection control in the dental office is that there are so many products and steps to follow,” said Brinker. “We are short so many assistants and hygienists right now. If we don’t make these protocols very simple and very understandable for our team, especially those who are new to dentistry, we run the risk of them not being followed.”
Your Waterlines Are Worth It!
Henry Schein Brand waterline treatment products help bridge the gap between quality and simplicity. A 2-cartridge system, the Dental Unit Water Purification Cartridge is 40% more powerful than a single-cartridge system, effectively treating lines for up to 1 year or 240 liters, while the Waterline Maintenance Tablets help meet or exceed CDC and ADA standards for clean water by up to 50 times acceptable levels.
“I love that the Henry Schein Waterline Maintenance Tablets are effective for 28 days. That’s not the case with other brands,” said Brinker. “The other thing I like is that there is no odor or taste, and the fact that it's not necessary to purge the lines at the end of the day.”
Final thoughts? “Waterline maintenance is something that we must take seriously because our patients are at risk,” said Brinker. “The last thing that we would ever want is for a patient to get sick or to jeopardize our careers or practices."
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