Biofilm problems in dental unit water systems and its practical control.
Affiliation
Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental School & Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. david.coleman@dental.tcd.ieIssue Date
2009-05MeSH
BiofilmsDental Equipment
Equipment Contamination
Humans
Infection Control, Dental
Water Microbiology
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Biofilm problems in dental unit water systems and its practical control. 2009, 106 (5):1424-37 J. Appl. Microbiol.Journal
Journal of applied microbiologyDOI
10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.04100.xPubMed ID
19187140Abstract
Dental chair units (DCUs) contain integrated systems that provide the instruments and services for a wide range of dental procedures. DCUs use water to cool and irrigate DCU-supplied instruments and tooth surfaces during dental treatment. Water is supplied to these instruments by a network of interconnected narrow-bore (2-3 mm) plastic tubes called dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). Many studies over the last 40 years demonstrated that DUWL output water is often contaminated with high densities of micro-organisms, predominantly Gram-negative aerobic heterotropic environmental bacteria, including Legionella and Pseudomonas species. Untreated DUWLs host biofilms that permit micro-organisms to multiply and disperse through the water network and which are aerosolized by DCU instrument use, thus exposing patients and staff to these micro-organisms, to fragments of biofilm and bacterial endotoxins. This review concentrates on how practical developments and innovations in specific areas can contribute to effective DUWL biofilm control. These include the use of effective DUWL treatment agents, improvements to DCU supply water quality, DCU design changes, development of automated DUWL treatment procedures that are effective at controlling biofilm in the long-term and require minimal human intervention, are safe for patients and staff, and which do not cause deterioration of DCU components following prolonged use.Item Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1365-2672ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.04100.x