Chemical cleaners on the market to remove and clean biofilm from dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) must be registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA requires regulatory oversight because chemical treatment regimens on the market claiming to control biofilm…
The , formerly known as the Organization for Safety and Asepsis (OSAP), is sponsoring Dental Infection Control Awareness Month (DICAM) in September, asking stakeholders to support and promote dental safety throughout the month. The theme for 2024 is "Embracing a…
A research study published in the June 2024 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) investigated current trends in dentistry for maintaining water quality in dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). While the majority (85%) of respondents recognized the…
Back in 2016, more than 60 children were diagnosed with confirmed or probable mycobacterial infections in Anaheim, California, after becoming infected with serious oral cellulitis, following dental pulpotomies performed at the same dental clinic. The microorganism in question was Mycobacterium abscessus, which…
In September, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1491 into law, which among other things, makes it unprofessional conduct for a dentists to “use water, or other methods used for irrigation, that are not sterile or that do not contain recognized…
On September 19, 2017, Governor Brown in California signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1277 into law, which requires the Dental Board of California (DBC) to amend the regulations on the minimum standards for infection control to require water or other methods…
Documented Infection Transmission from DUWLs In April 2016, twenty pediatric dental patients had to be hospitalized due to infection transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus from contaminated dental unit water used during pulpotomies. And from March-August 2016, 58 pediatric patients became infected…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on April 8th confirming the transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus among 20 pediatric dental patients from contaminated dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). The outbreak was caused by biofilm-contaminated water in…
Biofilms are microbial communities that form on the walls of the small-bore plastic tubing that delivers water from the dental unit through the dental handpieces, scalers, and air-water syringes to the patient. Currently, no quantitative water quality standards specific to…
