background and aims. bacterial contamination of dental unit water supplies (duws) has attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to the emergence of serious infections in susceptible dental patients. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of gram-negative bacterial contamination in duws at tabriz university of medical sciences faculty of dentistry. materials and methods...

Biofilms form rapidly on dental unit waterlines. The specific design of dental units favors bacteria to colonize surfaces and to form biofilm in water supply tubes, including dental unit water line (DUWL). The majority of the organisms in the biofilm are harmless environmental species, but some dental units may harbour opportunistic respiratory pathogens. Microbiological control of dental unit ...

BACKGROUND It is known that dental unit waterline can be a source of infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mouthwash, chlorhexidine, in controlling microbial and fungal contamination of dental unit waterlines. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present experimental study, the water in high-speed handpieces and air/water syringes of 35 dental units in a dental school was...

UNLABELLED Power toothbrushes (PTBs), in combination with abrasive dentifrices, may encourage wear of dental cements at crown margins. PURPOSE This study's purpose was to determine the effect chemical cleaning had on the microbial quality of water emitted from dental unit waterlines (DUWL), 3-way syringes, and power scalers. METHODS Ten randomly selected dental units with attached self-cont...

Output water from dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) may be a potential source of infection for both dental healthcare staff and patients. This study compared the efficacy of different disinfection methods with regard to the water quality and the presence of biofilm in DUWLs. Five dental units operating in a public dental health care setting were selected. The control dental unit had no disinfectio...

BACKGROUND Microbiological contamination of water in dental unit waterlines (DUWL) creates a risk of cross-infections, and is a source of biological risk factors in the work environment of a dentist. The aim of the study was to evaluate dentists' knowledge on DUWL microbiological contamination and the scope of activities/procedures they undertake to monitor it. MATERIALS AND METHOD The questi...

BACKGROUND Dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) are ideal environment for development of microbial biofilms. Microbial contamination of water in DUWLs is thought to be the result of biofilm formation as it could serves as a haven for pathogens. The aim of this study was to assess microbial quality of water in dental unit waterlines of dental units located at the dental school of Isfahan University of...

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of Legionella spp. in dental unit waterlines of a dental clinic and to verify whether the microbiological parameters used as indicators of water quality were correlated with Legionella contamination. A risk management plan was subsequently implemented in the dental health care setting, in order to verify whether the adopted disinfection protocols were ef...

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW This article reviews the literature on the subject of dental unit waterline contamination. It has been expanded from the text of a lecture given at the Scientific Frontiers in Dentistry program sponsored by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Md., in July 1999. The author examines the underlying biological causes of waterline coloniza...

saliva into the line due to lack of anti-retraction valves. Even a small amount of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a municipal water system can contribute to the dental chair unit contamination problem because dental chair units provide a different environment with small bores, narrow lumens and periods of stagnant water. However, if the water is well maintained according to current hygiene guideline...