AWWA PATH56539

Dental Unit Water Systems (DUWS) can be a source of contamination to dentists and patients specially those immunocompromised. Such organisms may originate from incoming water supplies and from oral cavities from the patients. The most common cause of dental unit waters contamination is believed to be the formation and subsequent sloughing off of microbial biofilms from the surface of tubing within DUWS. There are no currently evidence-based guidelines available to dentists for the control of DUWS contamination in Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial load of water from DUWS specially the presence of microbial pathogens that can be a source of cross-contamination between the patients. Water and tube samples were obtained from 40 dental surgeries from the city of Barcelona. The samples were taken from the turbine and from the air/water syringe. Twelve of these DUWS were fed with hard water from water mains (with chlorine) and 28 with bottle or tank deionized water. Microbial loading ranged from 0 to 3.6x103 CFU/ml. Legionella sp., Mycobacterium sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida sp. were found in 4, 8, 6, and 2 different surgeries, respectively. Inclusive oral streptococci were found in 2 dental units indicating that there is a back siphonage in the systems analyzed. Includes 10 references, tables.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

09/22/2002

Number of Pages:

6

File Size:

1 file , 150 KB